The last fortnight has witnessed an assault on public wisdom from a section of journalists and some media propelled activists who spared no time in chanting hallelujahs on the final Regional Plan 2021 no sooner it was notified by the government. They said it all, from accusing the public as being incompetent to comment on the RP-2021 to how the State Level Committee (SLC) on RP-2021 had saved Goa from the clutches of corrupt panchayats seeking change of land zoning for thousands of hectares in Pernem and Canacona. What the editors never dared mention to the public was about their unethical and biased collusion with the government's hired angelic chorus of so-publicised nationally and internationally acclaimed planners and architects in the presence of some shady bureaucrats that marketed the deceptive RPG-2021 on that evening before it was made public. The plight of goans is that in the last 49 years after liberation they have allowed themselves to be subjected to ridicule by migrant editors of newspapers and treated like thrash by media proclaimed activists. Had it been in any other State, the newspaper copies of both the publishing houses would have been burnt by the public and probably even the offices attacked. But the people of Goa have time and again displayed their democratic spirit and tolerance except for a section of fanatics along with some freedom fighters who resort to barbarism and hooliganism. How long will goans remain tolerant to this day light robbery and assault on their self-respect by some migrant journalists and dubious activists masquerading as conscience-keepers at the behest of miners and builders?
This fortnight that follows seems to be the time for cosmetic actions from those who are trying to cover up their guilt on the RP-2021. We have the misfortune of a section of so-called activists that have been repeatedly exploiting the trust and faith imposed in them by the goan people. They spare no efforts in exploiting the emotional vulnerability of the goan people to decorate themselves with colourful achievements and activity reports to impress the global donor market but ultimately benefit the real estate and mining lobby of Goa. This is exactly what has happened with the struggle against the Regional Plan for Goa. They have demanded for the RPG-2021 from the government and they finally got it. Now they complain that it was not put out for public scrutiny. A second public scrutiny under which law? The RP-2021 is prepared under chapter III of the TCP Act, 1974. The Chief Town Planner is required to notify the draft RP once and not two times as per section 13 of the Act. So what is this demand for a second scrutiny? The CTP has all the powers to revise the RP under section 13, so what is the noise about deviating from the draft RP? What about deviation from the Task Force recommendations, how are they binding on the CTP? Another accidental activist asks - where is our RP prepared by our Village? Here again she miserably fails to establish under which provision of law was this exercise conducted. That the government, particularly the CTP, in its generosity has chosen to refer the draft RP-2021to the Village Panchayats for opinions does not in any way mean that their suggestions are binding on him. The government does not function on emotions but by the letter of the law. Public's ignorance of the law is not the government's headache. The public has to pay the price for their folly. Even after repeated alerts if goan people chose to trust these frauds masquerading as saviours of Goa it is not the the government that can be blamed. Such fool hardiness of the goan people is always welcomed by the Goa government and those with vested interests.
So, ultimately some dubious activists have deliberately succeeded in losing the case for the people. They allowed the government to prepare the RPG-2021under the very same out-dated TCP law even though they were repeatedly sounded about the legal repercussions. They allowed the parallel process of preparing ODPs. They persisted in cheering the government to release the RP-2021 at the behest of miners, builders, architects and other agents. Even when the RP-2021 was refered to the Village Panchayats, these activists were sufficiently warned that this is not what participatory planning is all about. But they chose to ignore this fact and began training people on village planning to divert the attention. It is the activists who exploited the opportunity to gain publicity for themselves by conducting certain activities rather than advocating and lobbying for a people-centric RPG-2021. They allowed a set of controversial common building rules and zoning regulations for villages and municipalities to be promulgated by the government. So this fraud of a final RPG-2021 is not an accident. It is part of a well chalked out collaborative inititative between the government and dubious activists to benefit real estate and mining interests. That explains how the Task Force, SLC are loaded with those having a vested interest in real estate some of whom are surprisingly also part of a Save Goa movement. That is how the Save Goa movements were heavily controlled and influenced by agents of the real estate and mining industry.
Will the people dare question the so called activist architects who were part of the SLC and the Task Force on how they allowed such a fraud? We just received breaking news that some architects from the SLC have succeeded in stalling the plans for a people's agitation against RP-2021 on grounds that the leaders did not meet the CM and give him a chance to reply. No conflict of interest and moral impropriety to have one's feet in two conflicting forums? The Save Goa agents of the CM will be too thrilled to seek an appointment with the CM over a cup of coffee and give some time for the government to devise a counter strategy. This latest development itself speaks volumes on the betrayal of the goan people.
So the question is - Has the government fooled the goan people on RPG-2021? or Have the goan people chosen to be fooled by the government on RPG-2021?
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