the goan I network
MARGAO
The Goans for Dabolim Airport (GFDO) has urged TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai to scrap the PDA zone for Mopa, hoping that the whole issue of the necessity for the existence of PDAs in Goa be re-examined and re-evaluated.
In his letter addressed to the TCP Minister on the eve of the TCP Board meeting scheduled on Wednesday, GFDO convenor Fr Eremito Rebelo said, “We sincerely hope that the Mopa PDA and in fact, all the other new PDAs being contemplated be scrapped forthwith, or ironically, your party, which came to power based on the promise and commitment to protect and safeguard Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarponn will be responsible for its accelerated destruction and disappearance.”
Fr Eremito drew the attention of the TCP Minister to the fact that in an attempt to make the proposed Mopa airport viable to the developer, 15 lakh square metres of land has been handed over to GMR for commercial development at 2.5 FAR, adding ‘hence there is no need of the PDA to even convert the zone’.
“GMR has also been given complete autonomy over planning and development of the land according to the concessionaire agreement. It requires only technical clearance from the TCP Board. In these circumstances, what will be the role of the PDA given that planning and FAR is already decided for this areas,” he said, while demanding to know the justification for diverting personnel, resources and squandering taxpayer’s money to form a totally superfluous PDA.
Fr Eremito demanded to know whether there is any agenda to expand the PDA area to engulf all surrounding villages and perhaps the whole of Pernem. “Will the people of these villages lose their agricultural paddy fields, orchard land, springs etc in the name of development. If so, then considering that water for Mopa will be supplied from the Tillari dam, what have been the measures taken by the TCP to ensure that Pernem is equipped to handle the burden of the rapid urbanisation that is being planned,” he demanded to know.
He said it is abundantly clear that the track record of existing PDAs functioning in towns like Margao, Mapusa, Panaji and Vasco, have been dismal to say the least. “The function of planning, based on considerations of safety, security and sustainability has been obviously non existent as can be assessed from the fact that in Vasco, a seven-storey building has been permitted to set up in the funnel zone of Dabolim airport. This is not planning, but plain and simple exploitation,” Fr Eremito said, adding that it is shocking that the reach of this kind of PDA is being expanded and foisted in other parts of Goa.
“Rather than planning, the PDAs have been operating as purely zone conversion authorities. Land use and planning must be laid down and stated clearly as part of the regional plan based on scientific research and data analysis and of course the carrying capacity of tiny Goa,” he said, adding that Adhocism of the kind practices by the PDA and TCP Board without a regional plan in place is unacceptable.
