Party fails to satisfactorily answer on fears that TDR will result in demographic changes
the goan I network
MARGAO
The Goa Forward Party has come out strongly in favour of TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai’s proposed Amendment to the TCP Act, but could not satisfactorily answer the fears expressed in many quarters that Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) will result in changes in demography in the State.
Addressing the media, GF general secretary and vice-president Dilip Prabhudesai took potshots at Goencho Avaaz for picking up holes in the Amendments proposed to the TCP Act by Sardesai, saying there are certain people who are out to oppose anything and everything in the State.
Explaining the proposed Amendments, Dilip Prabhudesai accused the NGOs for jumping to conclusions when the Amendments are not even brought in the House. “The Amendments are aimed at bringing new planning concepts vis-à-vis accommodation and reservation and the transfer of development rights. TDR concept is not new in India. It is being followed by many states which has helped to protect the no-development zones as well as compensate the land owner by way of transfer of his development right,” Prabhudesai said.
He said the TDR concept will help maintain the greenery and also compensate the land owners as they would not be able to develop their land in the future. “The Goa Forward party is fully supporting the TCP Minster’s proposals. In fact, the proposals were approved by the Party Executive Committee,” he said, adding that Goa is urgently in need of planned development.
“The TDR concept will help posterity. All NDZ areas such as water bodies, hills, CRZ, khazan lands etc, will be retained once this concept is brought to force,” he said, adding that land owners will be able to sell development rights and also retain the character of the land.
When questioned how the proposed Amendment will take care of concerns raised on the issue of demography, Prabhudesai said that all these issues can be deliberated at length when the rules are forced for implementation of the concept.
“Goa is a modern state and we need modern development and address the issues of the Goan youth,” he said, while the NGOs should now tell the Congress MLAs, who had attended the Lohia Maidan meeting to speak on the floor of the House when these Amendments come up for discussion.
Goa Forward general secretary Prashant Naik said what is being proposed to ensure planned development from unplanned one. “It appears that some people and the NGOs don’t want anything planned. People cannot just oppose for the sake of opposition,” Prashant said.
