Anti-RP21 blood boils before Margao meet

MARGAO: The countdown has begun for the public meeting at the Lohia Maidan, Margao on April 27 at 4 pm with the Goencho Avaaz giving a clarion call to the people of Goa to assemble at the historic Maidan at the protest meet, sounding a warning loud and clear that the MLAs and elected representatives will have to face the wrath of the people if they don’t meet their demands.
Saying the assembly of people at the Lohia Maidan will showcase true Goemkarponn, Goencho Avaaz made it clear that the organization has no official support of the Church, but hastened to add that the Council for Social Justice and Peace is amongst the 15 organizations that has come together to demand scrapping of the RP 21.
Goencho Avaaz has also extended an open invitation to all the elected representatives, including the Ministers and MLAs, besides members of all political parties to see for themselves the extent of destruction that Goa will be subjected to.
Addressing the media on the eve of the Lohia Maidan awareness program and protest meet, Goencho Avaaz co-convenor Capt Viriato Fernandes warned that people will take to the streets unless all the demands are met and Goa government’s objectives and policies are corrected to achieve sustainable, equitable and all-inclusive development for all, especially the future generations. “We request the people of Goa to converge at Lohia Maidan on April 27 to witness evidence of gross illegalities and corruption in RP 2021, and to understand how the plan will irreversibly destroy all aspects of Goa, Goans and Goan culture. The threats of PDAs, ODPs, coal transportation and river nationalization will also be explained during the awareness program and protest meet where persons from across Goa will share accounts of the struggles of the local communities and explain the destruction being fought,” he said.
Capt Viriato accused the BJP government for going back on its solemn promise made by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar after coming to power in 2012 to scrap the RP 21 within 100 days, but lamented that the government has brought back the RP 21 through the back door against the wishes of Goans. “The RP has converted hills, river areas, forests into settlement zones to satisfy the land sharks. When around one lakh flats and apartments are lying vacant, how come a number of housing projects keep coming in the state. When Goans cannot buy these units, for whom are these flats meant for,” he demanded to know, while reiterating that Goans will come on the streets if the government fails to accept the demand. “We will expose all the political parties involved in the RP 21 . The Digambar Kamat government was booted out by the people for the wrong doings in the Plan. We will expose all parties,” he said.
Capt Viriato said that the ongoing movement against the RP does not have the official support of the Church, saying it has the backing of all people of Goa, cutting across religion, caste and creed.
Activist Abhijit Prabhudesai, while demanding that the RP 21 be kept in abeyance, called for bringing into force green zones in RP 01 and RP 21. “Until RP 21 is prepared, only family dwellings and village schools and hospitals should be permitted in the state. Restore water bodies, flood plains, agricultural lands, forests, plateaus, sand dunes and undertake sustainable land uses only”, Abjihit demanded.
---------------------------------------------------------------

DEMANDS OF GOENCHO AVAAZ

>> Place RP 21 in abeyance
>> Withdraw the March 28 order notifying the plan
>> Denotify ODPs, scrap PDAs
>> Prepare RP 2031 for entire Goa
>> Implement the 73rd &74th Amendments and incorporate it in the TCP Act
>> Collect all data required by gram sabhas, which will prepare RP 2031
>> No coal transportation through Goa
>> Delist all six Goan rivers from the National waterways Act, 2016
--------------------------------------------------

Church as an institution should facilitate dialogue and discussion on what we as Goemkars want for our Goem and not only repeat what we don’t want
- TCP Minister

---------------------------------------------------------

Vijai to Goencho Avaaz: Give
names of politicians, I will act

MARGAO: On the eve of the April 27 Lohia Maidan meetings, TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai sought to reach out to Goencho Avaaz by promising to act if the list of politicians who have illegally converted their lands under RP 2021 is given to him even before the Lohia Maidan meeting.
The TCP Minister tweeted after an interview to a local TV channel that his doors are always open for dialogue, while recognizing the democratic right of the people to hold the meeting. “Will act if the list of politicians, who have illegally converted their lands under RP 2021 is given by Goencho Avaaz even before the Lohia Maidan meeting on April 27. But, the right to hold the meeting is a democratic right. I can act on the list once exposed at the meeting. My doors are always open for dialogue,” he tweeted, adding that he can ask the five-member technical committee, constituted for operationalizing certain areas, to look into the complaints”.
Saying he has high regards for the Church, the TCP Minsiter said he expected the Church to facilitate dialogue to ensure planned development of Goa. “Feels bad when one of its heavily politicized organ opts for confrontation. Church as an institution should facilitate dialogue and discussion on what we as Goemkars want for our Goem and not only repeat what we don’t want. Let us together take Goa forward with a positive mindset,” Sardesai tweeted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goencho Avaaz to Vijai: Have patience,
will expose list of politicians tomorrow

MARGAO: Asking TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai to have patience till the April 27 meeting, Goencho Avaaz has said the forum is committed to expose the list of politicians who have benefitted from the Regional plan 2021.
“The TCP Minister should have patience. He should wait till April 27 to initiate action. What was he doing as a minister all this time when people had lodged around 16,000 objections to the RP 21 plan”, Goencho Avaaz co-convenor, Viriato Fernandes said.
Activist Abhijit Prabhudesai demanded to know how the Minister plans to rectify the illegalities committed in the RP 21. Goencho Avaaz members also charged that deliberate attempts are being made to create confusion in the minds of the people. Even the Chief Town Planners, created by the new government, has no idea on the thousands of objections received by the CTP to the RP 21, they added.