Govt denotifies controversial regional plan

Panaji, Jan 18 (UNI) Following public outcry, Goa government today denotified the controversial Regional Plan-2011 that had earlier led to the resignation of town and country planning (TCP) minister Atanasion Monserrate.

Disclosing this to reporters at the Porvorim Secretariat complex after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane, who was also holding the TCP portfolio, said the government had decided to seek expression of interest for appointing an expert consultant shortly for drafting the plan afresh valid for 10 more years.

''Apart from obeying the peoples' sentiments and the resolution of the Congress Legislature Party to this effect at its emergency meeting today, we have decided to denotify the Regional Plan-2011 and draft it afresh using satellite imagery including that of Google's technology and other technical tools using new consultants,'' Mr Rane said.

The new plan notifies government forests, irrigated areas/ponds, water bodies/slopes besides other important places so that it is accepted by all. It would be ready within three months irrespective of which government would be formed in the state after the May elections, Mr Rane said.

The chief minister, however, was silent on the suspected crores of rupees worth land transactions under the just scrapped regional plan.

It might be recalled that several non-government organisations under the banner of Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) openly threatened the government with resorting to agitations demanding scrapping of the Plan and vote out the Congress in coming elections.

The governor S C Jamir had invited the members of the GBA to Raj Bhawan for a discussion on the issue even as the CLP had in its emergency meeting resolved to recommend to the chief minister for denotifying the plan.

The agitators feared the plan would change the very landscape and contours of the state.

UNI