Govt notifies changes in zones of few survey nos in Calangute-Candolim ODP
Local MLA and Minister for Waste Management Michael Lobo is one of the beneficiary
Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI:
Three years after the Calangute, Candolim ODP was finalised, the State government, through a particular notification, has notified changes in zones of just a few properties, which many say is for the benefit of builders and politicians.
In a public notice published in a local newspaper, the NGPDA vide a notification bearing reference number NGPDA/Cal-Can ODP/Vol III/330/2021 dated 30/06/2021 said it has decided to rectify specific cartographic errors in “public interest”.
Surprisingly, the NGPDA has decided to change the zones of only a few properties.
Calangute MLA and Minister Michael Lobo, one of the beneficiaries in the new notification, has maintained that he has brought Calangute & Candolim under PDA to benefit the locals, but that does not seem to be the case.
Moreover, it has to be noted that there was strong opposition and public agitations over the PDA and ODP, but the Government did not heed the people’s requests.
After a gap of more than two years since the Calangute – Candolim final ODP was notified, the NGPDA has now brought in a special notification to favour a selected few builder lobby builders, one of the builders higher FAR so they can be allowed to build more.
The properties are –
1) Property bearing survey no 238/21 of Calangute village has been given C2 zone (150 % FAR-commercial). This property shows Minister Michael Lobo as one of the co-owners. Property admeasuring 1300 sq mtrs.
2) Property bearing survey no 199/9-D of Candolim village, given C3 zone (100% FAR-commercial) admeasuring 1021 Sq.mtrs.
3) Property bearing survey no: 41/1 (admeasuring 3085 sq mtrs), survey no. 28/17 (admeasuring 8425 Sq.mtrs ), survey no. 207/2 (admeasuring 23025 sq meters) of Candolim village ; all have been given S1 zone (100% FAR)
Now the question arises: why has the NGPDA and the government, through a particular notification, changed the zoning of only these properties after three years since the Calangute-Candolim was notified?
Many locals have filed cases in the district court against the ODP plan, and their matters are still pending adjudication in the court. But here, only a selected few have been given unique benefits by way of a particular notification.
Why is the commercial zoning and 100 % FAR not given to all surrounding properties as well?
How are the locals going to benefit from the Higher FAR given to these builders?
One can go through Form 1&14 and see who are the ones who have benefitted from this notification. It is only the builder lobby and the MLA.
One can also question how this change of zone becomes in “ public interest “ as stated in their public notice.
Only a selected few people are benefiting and not the public …it is only the self-interest!
Another question that arises is why the NGPDA did not keep it open for suggestion and objection from the general public again?
The MLA and the NGPDA should stop fooling the people every time.
This PDA and ODP have only been causing the village’s destruction and causing overburden on already the scarce resources and creating more issues such as inadequate water supply, power shortage, and sewage problems. A few of the builder lobby are making hay.
This is going to be a catastrophic disaster for the village.
The villages are already facing severe issues of erratic power supply and irregular water supply.
Now this notification will only add more woes to the locals and the village.
The whole exercise was for self and vested interests builder lobby by the politicians.
NGPDA chairman says “not involved”
North Goa Planning and Development Authority chairman Francis Silveira when questioned about the new notification said that the changes were moved when he was not the chairman.
“The approval for changes have come from government, and I was not the chairman when the changes were proposed,” he said.
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