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Regional Plan outbursts reverberate in Delhi

BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 18 — The massive public meeting at Azad Maidan here demanding scrapping of Regional Plan found its echoes in the corridors of power in New Delhi with Congress President Sonia Gandhi too showing keen interest on the issue.

Sources in the national capital told Herald that Regional Plan issue figured prominently at a high-level meeting held in the presence of Mrs Gandhi to discuss issues pertaining to two states. AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra and Goa Margaret Alva co-ordinated the meeting which was attended by President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ravi Naik, MPs Churchill Alemao, Shantaram Naik, Ahmad Patel (political advisor to Mrs Gandhi) among others. Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane couldn’t attend the meet.

Sources said Ahmad Patel was keen to know the outcome of the crowd for the meeting called by Goa Bachao Abhiyan as it reflected the groundswell of public opinion. The High Command is worried that the agitation would go against the prospects of Congress party in the next Assembly elections.

Ms Gandhi inquired with Ravi Naik whether the party was consulted at the time of preparation of the Regional Plan. She also sought to know from the Goa leaders whether the procedure followed was correct. Alva told Mrs Gandhi that she had spoken to the party leaders including the CM on the Regional Plan during her visit to Goa last week and felt necessary action should be taken.

Alva is also understood to have told Mrs Gandhi that coalition partners also impressed upon, though belatedly, that Regional Plan would do harm to the State and its ecology. Incidentally both the MGP and NCP have in the last few days issued statements demanding that the Plan be revoked. Four days ago she had met Dr Wilfred de Souza, Sudin Dhavlikar and Filipe Neri Rodrigues on various issues pertaining to the government.

DHAVLIKAR: The demand for stripping Sudin Dhavlikar (MGP) of PWD portfolio was discussed in detail at the meeting, sources said. As reported yesterday, some senior ministers in the Cabinet have demanded that action should be taken against the PWD Minister for continuing to use the official machinery against Congress interest.
A decision on this matter is expected soon, sources said.

Meanwhile, Churchill Alemao has submitted a detailed representation to Mrs Gandhi on SEZ and Regional Plan. He has demanded that SEZ plans should be shelved in Goa.

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Regional Plan outbursts reverberate in Delhi

From the Discussion Forum