We’re going ahead with PDA: Lobo

SALIGAO: Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Sunday told the special gram sabha convened at Parra that he would go ahead with including the village under the planning and development authority (PDA) despite opposition from villagers.
The gram sabha of the village panchayat which was called to discuss the inclusion of Parra under the PDA remained inconclusive, and the meeting wound up in a commotion as majority of the members objected to the PDA.

The sabha was attended by Parra sarpanch Delilah Lobo, member secretary of North Goa PDA, RK Pandita, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, panchayat members and others. In all, 17 villages including Bambolim, the Kadamba plateau and Arpora-Nagoa-Parra have been brought under the planning and development area (PDA).

Pandita explained the benefits of the plan and told villagers that in the regional plan (RP) structures (private and public buildings / infrastructure)were not shown, but in NGPDA’s plan, the existing structures are shown, adding that this was a type of micro planning for the village. However, villagers raised objections saying they were against the inclusion of their village under PDA and demanded to know why their village needed to be included when the other villages are opposing it.

The Calangute MLA tried to pacify villagers to accept the plan, but the villagers’ protests only grew louder. Despite the protests, Lobo said that he would go ahead with the plan. At this point, the meeting turned chaotic and police were deployed.