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News ArticlesOrganisations gear up for anti-regional plan rallyNT Staff Reporter ‘Save Goa’, which spearheads the agitation against the plan has organised a public rally on December 18, at 3 p.m, at Azad Maidan, for allowing the public to voice their opposition to the particular document. The convenor of ‘Save Goa’, Dr Oscar Rebello has appealed to all the organisations - social and religious, all political parties, students unions, tiatrists, various communities from Goa, artists, activists, the media, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and every Goan to lend their helping hand and provide the moral support to fight against the plan. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party in the state has already extended apolitical support to ‘Save Goa’. The leader of the opposition, Mr Parrikar has said that the BJP is not interested in drawing political mileage from the issue and hence would not take the party symbol on the platform of the ‘Save Goa’. The issue is not limited to the party level but has much far and wider implications, he added. The recreational grounds, the tenanted agricultural land, the slopes, everything has been converted into the settlement zone, he had stated, pointing out that the department of town and country planning was giving no objection certificates in an indiscriminate way. While the state Nationalist Congress party has strongly opposed the Regional Plan, pledged its support to the Save Goa campaign and even called for a special session of the legislative assembly to discuss the contentious issue, reactions of Congress leaders ranged from downright objection to the plan to the matter is sub-judice so lets wait and see. The Congress spokesman and Pernem MLA, Mr Jeetendra Deshprabhu has already gone on record to loudly oppose the Regional Plan draft stating that if it is finalised, it will destroy Goa and “Goa will not remain Goa”. The St Cruz firebrand MLA, Ms Victoria Fernandes seemed gearing for a fight. When contacted today she said, “If it is going to destroy Goa, our lands, our fields, then I will surely oppose it. But I have not made a thorough study of it yet. I am collecting the papers.” She was clearly sympathetic to the opposition building up against the Regional Plan. Unless there is something seriously wrong with it, the people would not have come out like this. The Minister for Information Technology, Mr Dayanand Narvekar said that in a democracy people have full right to oppose. “People have genuine concerns and they are quite right in opposing (the Plan),” he said. Mr Narvekar said the stand of the Congress party is clear and that the party is open to changes to the plan as already declared by the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee, Ms Margaret Alva. He also said that the matter is in court, which has already given a stay on it. He however said that he himself was unaware of the finer details of the plan and would apply his mind to the contentious issue. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which is one of the coalition partners in the present government has said that the plan should have been prepared after taking into account the views of the general public. “Goans should have been allowed to decide the future of Goa vis-a-vis the regional plan,” the party reacted. The president of the MGP, Mr Pandurang Raut told this daily that the Regional Plan 2011 has become a tool for a single person to make money. Every single minister in the state cabinet, including the Chief Minister will be responsible for the mess that the state would be in, by way of implementation of this plan, he stated. |
From the Discussion ForumGoa's Identity Movement (UAE GOANS) Jun 29, 08 | ARWIN How to stop indiscriminate construction Jun 4, 10 | raghukumar DONT GO TO GOA Apr 13, 09 | dontgotogoa Eureka! Sep 23, 11 | R Fernandes WHY DONT OUR ARCHITECTS SHOW SOME SPINE? Apr 23, 08 | bazooka
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