Vijay says govt will have to walk the talk on green buildings

the goan I network

MARGAO 

Asserting that the government should practice what it preaches, Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday said that all government buildings should conform to the green building norms from January 1, 2019.   

He, however, sought to allay doubts amongst the people, saying that the green building norms will be applicable only for major construction projects, including government buildings, and not for the residential houses of the common man.   

While asking the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) to incorporate the green norms into the Rs 24 crore multipurpose educational project at Borda-Fatorda, Sardesai said the government should practices what it preaches on the green buildings.   

“From January 1, 2019, all major TCP buildings will be green. This, however, will not be applicable for houses of common man as the cost of the project is set to go up as high as 17 per cent for going green”, he said, while exuding confidence that the GSIDC will incorporate the green norms in the multipurpose building.   

“What is the use of making all projects green if the government buildings will not adhere to the norms? We should practice what we preach,” he added. Laying the foundation stone for a grand Rs 24 crore five-storied multipurpose educational complex at Borda which will house the ITI, secondary school, higher secondary school and the college, he said the educational project, which includes demolition of the existing multipurpose building and construction of a new education complex, will be taken up in two phases.   

“Some people, including the Congress leaders, tried to kick up a row over the cricket ground. I want to reassure everyone that the building complex will come up with a provision for a cricket ground as well as a football ground. Attempt to polarize the people on communal lines has not succeeded,” he said, exuding confidence that the GSIDC will be able to put the project in place within 12 months.   

He said the school will have a provision of e-classrooms. The institute will be of top quality infrastructure and will be a boon to students of entire Salcete taluka since the multipurpose college is a major educational hub in Margao today, he added.   

Sardesai said that what was lacking in the multipurpose building will be taken care of by the government. The government will make up for the deficiencies by suing the law, he stated.   

In this context, he publicly announced that the South Goa Planning and Development Authority will suitably increase the FAR of the multipurpose project to add two more floors. “The Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Margao will be changed to help the project get the benefit of FAR and two additional floors. ODPs are not put in place only to help builders, but also take care of public infrastructure projects benefitting the public at large,” he added.   

GSIDC Chairman Deepak Pauskar, MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai, former MLA Luis Alex Cardozo also spoke on the occasion.