Panaji: Spurred by the call made by the Enough Is Enough movement, around hundred demonstrators gathered outside the town and country planning (TCP) department office at Patto on Friday. Protesters gave govt a 15-day ultimatum to repeal Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act.Furious with the TCP provisions being abused for unplanned development across the state, the protesters demanded the immediate suspension of all actions taken under Section 39A until the high court decides on its constitutional validity.The citizens’ collective led by former chief justice of the Allahabad high court Ferdino Rebello, submitted a memorandum to the chief town planner, strongly urging govt to revoke all zone change approvals and to bring in transparency in land conversions.Environmentalist Claude Alvares said the Regional Plan 2021 is a public document created to protect Goa’s ecological balance and should not be altered without the consent of its people.“The Regional Plan belongs to every citizen of Goa. It was designed to ensure that nearly 82% of the state remains safeguarded from unregulated development, protecting forests, hills and agricultural land. Any changes to it must have the approval of Goans,” Alvares said.Citizens from across the state joined the protest to express their ire over land conversions, lack of environmental protection and transparency in planning decisions. Protesters alleged that Section 39A has facilitated widespread destruction of the state’s hills, green cover and fragile lands. A huge posse of police personnel were deployed around the TCP building to prevent the protesters from entering the TCP office.The opposition parties lent heft to the protest with a warning that the agitation would be intensified and the removal of the TCP minister would be demanded if govt failed to respond within the stipulated period.State Congress president Girish Chodankar, AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik and RGP MLA Viresh Borkar backed the demand for the immediate repeal of Section 39A as the provision undermines transparent urban planning. Despite Congress backing the protest, the grand old party did face flak from frustrated locals who blamed Congress for the mess.Naik demanded a special assembly session to discuss the repeal of 39A.The Enough is Enough movement has urged the TCP department to recommend that Goa govt withdraw Section 39A either through legislation or an ordinance. The group has also demanded that the department immediately stop issuing fresh notifications under the provision, including publication of notifications in the official gazette.The memorandum has demanded that the TCP department inform all zone change applicants that permissions granted under Section 39A are subject to the final verdict of the Bombay high court. It also sought an assurance that status quo would be restored if the provision or permissions issued under it are eventually declared unlawful.The protesters have also demanded that govt must release a comprehensive list of all applications received, pending and approved under Section 39A since its introduction.
