Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant indicated that his government would take into account public opinion while responding to a Citizens’ Charter submitted by a civil movement spearheaded by former Bombay High Court judge Justice Ferdino Rebello.
Sawant’s remarks came a day after a large-scale public congregation in Panaji, where thousands of citizens assembled to finalise the charter outlining a series of demands centred on environmental protection, heritage conservation and democratic safeguards in Goa.
Addressing mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister acknowledged receipt of the representation and said the government would examine its contents. “The charter has been submitted to us. We will study it,” Sawant said, adding that the administration would act in accordance with the will of the people.
The charter, drafted through consultations led by Justice Rebello, calls for a rollback of policy measures that activists believe have accelerated unregulated development. Among the key demands is the removal of Sections 17(2) and 39A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, provisions that campaigners say allow changes in land use and zoning that could irreversibly damage Goa’s ecological balance.
Speaking at the public meeting on Tuesday, Justice Rebello described the initiative as a citizen-driven effort aimed at preserving Goa’s natural and cultural identity. He stressed that the movement was non-partisan and rooted in a broader ethical responsibility to protect the State for future generations.
Sawant’s statement marks the government’s first formal reaction to the charter and the mass mobilisation behind it. While the Chief Minister has signalled openness to reviewing the demands, there has been no clarity yet on whether the government will amend or repeal the contentious provisions of the TCP Act.
