Sub-committee for dropping two villages from Greater Panaji PDA

PORVORIM: The town and country planning (TCP) department’s sub-committee formed to look into the concerns surrounding the constitution of the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority has recommended the removal of Azossim-Mandur and Gancim-Batim villages from the Greater Panaji PDA.
Minister for town and country planning, Vijai Sardesai, who heads the four-member sub-committee, also said that Siridao was not part of the Greater Panaji PDA and that unnecessary panic had been created among the villagers of Siridao. The meeting was held on Wednesday

“The entire village of Siridao was never included in the Greater Panaji PDA. So it seems like unfounded fears were created, a fear that was not based on fact,” Sardesai said after the meeting. “The Azossim-Mandur sarpanch gave a clear presentation based on facts, and, all in all, we find that the representation is valid and per se we agree with them. So, we could reach a decision not to include the village.”

The four-member committee, which met at the ministerial block at Porvorim consists of chief town planner Rajesh Naik, member secretary for North Goa Planning and Development Authority R K Pandita and Velim Congress MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues.

Sardesai said that the concerns raised by Gancim-Batim were also valid. “We feel that Gancim-Batim and Azossim-Mandur have similar demographics and are far away from Panaji and there is no need to go so far away. So, even the village of Gancim-Batim could be considered for removal from the Greater Panaji PDA.”

“I have been saying that we couldn’t take any decision as no representation had come to us. The moment we received it, I immediately convened a meeting and promptly took a decision on it. When a delegaton met us, I was quick to say that we’ll review the inclusion of areas in the GPPDA. We are for consultative participaton of the people as we are driven by Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarponn. At the same tim, the government is also for planned development of Goa”, he said

The sub-committee will hear the representation of the remaining villages, including St Cruz, Chimbel and Curca-Bambolim-Talaulim in the coming days and the recommendations will be submitted to the TCP board for final approval.

“However, this is not binding on the board. At this juncture, we can say that the sub-committee is of the considered opinion that we could omit these villages from the Greater Panaji PDA. A final decision will come from the board,” Sardesai said.

Sardesai said that the department will try to hasten the process so that the report can be completed by the second week of April.

The state has seen huge protests from residents of several villages in Tiswadi including St Cruz, Merces, Siridao, abnd others for their propsoed inclusion in the new PDA headed by Atanasio Monserrate.