Church clueless over Vijai’s PDA talk

PANAJI

Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai’s statement that he has consulted with ‘church’ leaders over plans to expand PDA areas while asking ‘people’ not to oppose his plans has sent leaders in the church scurrying to find out, who among ‘leaders’ in the church Vijai has spoken to, if at all.  

On February 9, Sardesai who was in a combative mood asked Goans not to oppose his plans of opening newer and newer areas for development offering to ‘trade’ protection for certain areas like the Bondvoll lake in exchange for high rises within PDA areas.  

“We have to accept few things which are inevitable. Inevitable is Goa is growing. Certain settlement areas have to… you have to go vertical in certain areas. If you are going to protect all eco-sensitive khazan land, low lying paddy fields, hill slopes, you may incentivise conservation of these zones, but you can only do if you allow certain areas to have vertical growth much above the permitted limits now,” Sardesai was quoted as saying.   

“This is why I want to make an appeal to those who are opposing greater Panaji PDA. There is an apprehension Babush Monserrate will become chairman and everything will get converted. There is no need for everyone to fear. I have even spoken to authorities in (the) church, even to the Bishop’s office, there is nothing to fear. I am willing to engage anybody in it, But you can’t say: “Don’t touch the plateau. Wherever there is a wide road, good power, good water, you will have to go vertical and we will have to accept this,” Vijai had said.  

Vijai’s statements involving the Church are crucial because of the message they are trying to convey. That Sardesai claims to have the backing of the ‘Church’ and is using it to ask the people not to oppose his plans of high rises is significant especially when one considers the fact that the public meeting against the inclusion of areas of Santa Cruz and other areas were held on the grounds of the Santa Cruz church and the backers of the movement are largely those from amongst the Catholic community in the state.  

Sources in the Archbishop’s House told The Goan that their inquiries have revealed that while Sardesai did interact with a few priests recently when Sardesai made a brief visit to the Archbishop on the occasion of his birthday recently, it is very unlikely that a matter such as this came up for discussion.  

Even more significant is the presence of a Catholic priest Fr Michael Fernandes who spoke against the inclusion.  

“I was shocked to see the second notification of inclusion of Santa Cruz village parts in the PDA despite the opposition from the public,” Fr Fernandes decried.  

Arturo D’Souza one of the leaders of the campaign against the Greater Panaji PDA questioned Sardesai for “name-dropping” the church leaders in a bid to “mislead the people”  

“He is just trying to arouse the sentiments, perhaps because most of us in the movement are Catholic. But our movement is growing and has spread out to all communities in the area. He is trying to misguide the people,” D’Souza said.  

The Church has often taken a pro-environment stand and has supported people’s movements against “development” that has come at the cost of the quality of life of Goans but is yet to publicly react to the Minister using the name of the Church.  

The people of Santa Cruz and neighbouring villages are apprehensive that any development on the plateaus that surround the village will affect them first. “Don’t you think that we who are going to be affected should be consulted first?” D’Souza asked. 

Meanwhile, a senior priest told The Goan that the Bishop’s House  was mindful of media statements reportedly made by TCP Minister Vijai  Sardesai claiming the church support, while appealing to those who  opposing Greater Panaji PDA. 

Reacting to Sardesai’s statement of having “spoken to authorities  of the Church, including the bishop’s office, and there is nothing to  fear”, the priest said: “We first need to find out who he spoke to in  the Bishop’s House and in what connection.”