PANAJI: If the town and country planning (
TCP) department denotifies the
Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority or removes the names of the 10 villages which are currently objecting to the constitution of the
Greater Panaji PDA, then the locals will drop their agitation planned for April 6.
Insisting that they did not want to go ahead with the agitation if TCP minister Vijai
Sardesai decided in favour of the agitating villagers, local activist Arturo D’Souza said that they hoped that the TCP board would meet on March 19 to decide on the issue. “We are hopeful that he will take a decision in favour of the villages,” sarpanch of
St Cruz Mariano Araujo said.
The residents of St Cruz, Siridao, Cujira, Mandur, Azossim, Merces, Chimbel, Curca, Bambolim and
Telaulim have been objecting to the inclusion of their villages in the Greater Panaji PDA.
The villagers have given the government till March 31 to denotify the PDA.
“All the elected panchayat members of the villages affected due to inclusion in the PDA are fully with the villagers, who have submitted their memorandum to the TCP minister for de-notification,” stated an unsigned note issued by the panchayat members at the press briefing on Saturday, at which Siridao sarpanch
Vasu Kunkolienkar was also present.
“Vijai Sardesai has come through a movement and he should understand the language of an agitation,” D’Souza said. “If the board meeting is delayed, we will get more time to organize our protest meeting. We will be able to get more people.”
Sardesai had on Friday said he could postpone the TCP board meeting scheduled on March 19 to April 9. The TCP minister was irked that the villagers had decided to launch an agitation despite assurances that he would consider their grievances.
