Citizens of Margao, Fatorda demand scrapping of SGPDA

lodge complaint before Vigilance dept demanding probe AGAINST sGPDA CHIEF, PDA MEMBER SECRETARY AND CONTRACTOR over payments to prepare land use map

| MAY 16, 2018, 03:22 AM IST
Citizens of Margao, Fatorda   demand scrapping of SGPDA

the goan I network

MARGAO   

Ahead of Wednesday’s crucial meeting of the Town and Country Planning Board to be chaired by TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, where the Board is expected to drop villages from Greater Panjim PDA, citizens from Margao and Fatorda called for the scrapping of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority 

(SGPDA).   

The citizens have also lodged a complaint before the Vigilance demanding a probe against PDA Chairperson Dr Renuka Da Silva, PDA Member Secretary Ashok Kumar, the contractor Turbosketch into the payments to prepare the land use map.   

Addressing the media, the citizens comprising of Dr Francisco Colaco, Piedade Noronha, Avinash Tavares and Sanjeev Raiturkar said the SGPDA has failed to put in place the land use map and register as per the mandate of the TCP Act. 

“The citizens gave the PDA the opportunity to rectify the lapses and involve the Margao Municipal councillors to prepare a foolproof land use map so that each and every structure dotting in the city reflects on the land use map. But, the PDA has failed and hence we believe that the SGDPA is only interested in changing the city’s planning zones than in the planning of the city,” Avinash Tavares told the media.   

Saying that the SGPDA has failed to ensure proper planning and regulate development throughout the city, the citizens pointed out that the PDA has failed to curtail illegal land filling, hill cutting and illegal construction throughout the city. “The chairperson and members of the SGPDA are all political appointees who have no expertise in urban development,” they said.   

Alleging corruption in the PDA, the citizens said the PDA serves no purpose for development or planning of the city, while making a strong case for the scrapping of the PDA and bringing the city under the TCP department under the 74th Constitutional Amendment. “Let all the duties of planning and preparation of the development plan be conducted by the local body, ie the Margao Municipality, with the technical support of the TCP in line with the 74th Amendment,” Tavares demanded.   

Dr Francisco Colaco supported the demand for the scrapping of the SGPDA, calling upon the government to denotify the SGDPA. 


MMC chief says SGPDA didn’t train 

councillors for inputs on land use map

MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai has rubbished the allegations that the SGPDA did not train the Margao Municipal councillors to give their inputs to prepare the city’s land use plan.  “What are these citizens talking about. After the SGDPA had involved the Council in the land use map exercise, the City Fathers had utilised the services of the Municipal engineers to collect details from the ground. The councillors had even collected details of the religious places that are located across the city,” she said.   

Babita pointed out that even if some structures still do not reflect on the land use map, the citizens are free to file their objections or suggestions before the SGPDA. “Just because some structures, if one accept the claim made by these citizens, are found missing, then they just cannot demand the scrapping of the SGPDA. There’s a solution to every problem,” Babita said.

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