Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) demanded that finalized plans of the Regional Plan for Goa (RP) 2021 (release one) comprising taluka plans of Pernema and Canacona be kept open for 30 days prior to notification to rule out import of projects through the backdoor. “No new projects whether under Section 16/16A , PPP or otherwise should be introduced without public scrutiny,” GBA secretary Reboni Saha stated in a press note.
GBA also demanded that the government immediately mark and notify the eco-sensitive zones for the entire state, irrespective of the completion date of the plan for Goa. “The ODP areas should be included in the RP2021 and the eco-sensitive areas also marked and notified,” she said.
The villages included in the outline development plan (ODP) areas or granted higher VP status should be kept in abeyance till the eco-sensitive zones are notified. “Till then only VP3 FAR (floor area ratio) may be permitted,” she said.
The government should explain why VP3 at the low FAR of 50 notified in the draft plan was dropped in the RPG 2021 (release one). The new higher VP status will have implications in terms of broader roads for which land aquisition will take place. “Where have the new ‘zones’ come from, specifically ‘Non-PDA ODP’s’ and ‘municipal zones’ which suddenly affect the FAR of villages?” she asked.