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GBA asks for details on flying squads and demands written assurances from CM

HERALD
May 4,2010
Goa Bachao Abhiyan is not too happy with the decision of the Government to form flying squads to respond to illegal hill-cutting, filling of low-lying land and other violations and have sought more details about the same.

GBA mentioned they were all for flying squads but questioned the Government if it was serious then where were the details of the same. If the Government is serious then why hasn’t it released the initial details like who will be the persons to be contacted during any violation? it questioned.

GBA Secretary Reboni Saha said the GBA was convinced the announcement of flying squads was a damp squib given the fact nothing much has happened after the first assurance was given by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on March 4, 2010, that the Regional Plan would be complete in six months.

Saha observed almost same assurances are being repeated since March 4. We were assured eco-sensitive zones will be protected but nothing of that sort is happening. Assurances are there but nothing is on paper, she asserted.

She said, “It will be sometime before we will really see the flying squads because the same has to be notified in the official gazette for implementation. Before that the GBA would like to have some circular or some details in written form regarding the squads.”

In a press statement issued here, the GBA cited many reasons why the decision of forming the flying squads was a damp squib. It reminded that the Goa TCP Act, 1974, was itself not in sync with Article 243, especially Article 243G, 243N & 243ZD and the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules there under.

The statement adds further, “The process of revoking and replacing, or at least amending, the said Act is imperative. The only progress made here is in the change of the Chairperson of the Review Committee. The Goa Law Commission, which was entrusted with the review of this Act, is not known to have done anything even in the context of the Section 16 & 16A amended in March, 2008 itself.”

The GBA demanded that the constitution of a committee to propose the amendments to the outdated Goa, Daman & Diu Town & Country Planning Act, 1974 need to be published in the Official Gazette for the information of the aggrieved public.

It reminded that although the draft Regional Plan was notified in October 2008 and the village panchayats had submitted the village plans to the Goa TCP Department on June 15, 2009, or thereabout, there was no official notification about the final Draft Regional Plan for Goa 2021. The assurance of the CM on March 27, 2010, in the Goa Legislative Assembly was the only tangible progress since March 4, it mentioned.

The statement of GBA chides the Government on taluka Plans of Pernem and Canacona. “The plans have not been made public by March 31, 2010 as committed on March 4, nor by the revised date of April 30, 2010 and we have serious apprehensions that the process for the eleven talukas will not be completed by September, 2010, if there is no fixed schedule specified to the Chief Town Planner who by law has to get the RP for Goa prepared under his control and direction. The Government is mum on this subject,” it mentions.

It again reminded that the various groups, CSOs and NGOs who actively participated in the village level planning process and in the structured meeting on April 21, 2010, have expressed utter disgust at the delaying tactics adopted by the Government that claimed to represent the “aam aadmi”.

The GBA warned in the obvious failure to keep up to its assurances, the Government of Goa will have to assume full responsibility for the unforeseen consequences in future.

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GBA asks for details on flying squads and demands written assurances from CM

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