Abusaleh Shariff explodes the myth of Muslims doing better under Modi ruleRights group questions Goa housing project
Submitted by admin3 on 16 March 2010 - 9:44pm
By AINS,
Panaji: A leading civic rights group Tuesday alleged irregularities in granting permissions to a mega housing project promoted by Delhi-based infrastructure firm DLF and has called the role of Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in the deal as "extremely suspicious".
"As head of the town and country planning (TCP) department, his (Kamat) role is full of suspicion, especially the manner in which permissions were given for the DLF's mega housing project in Daholim," Sabina Martins said during a press conference.
sabina is convenor of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA), a leading rights organisation which serves as an umbrella for several NGOs promoting planned development,
The DLF mega residential project which envisages the construction of 600 top-of-the-range houses along the hill slopes of the picturesque village of Dabolim, 30 km from here, has triggered a huge controversy with several politicians and bureaucrats being accused of turning a blind eye to numerous illegalities allegedly committed by the promoters in executing the project.
"The entire project is being constructed on a slope which is a 'no development zone'. Large scale tree felling was carried out without permissions from the forest department. And the TCP itself gave the project permissions using the 'deemed' provisions," Rebonie Saha, secretary of the GBA, said.
The TCP, which authorizes and finalizes plans for development projects, is presently headed by Kamat, who is also the chairman of the TCP Board, which is the authority for clearances.
Targeting Kamat for the slew of illegal construction projects in Goa, Martins said that not one of the assurances given by the chief minister over checking illegal constructions in the state had been delivered by him.
Kamat, who was elected to power in 2007, had been forced to scrap the controversial 'Regional Plan 2011', which envisaged conversion of large tracts of land from orchard or green categories to settlement zones.
However, the inordinate delay by Kamat in putting into place an alternative regional plan 'Regional Plan 2021' for Goa had only worked in favour of the real estate lobby, who were making merry thanks to the delay, the GBA said.
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The rape of Goa - OUR homeland
This is the tragedy that is going on in Goa…and Goans all over the world are clueless to the rape of our beautiful home…..Is Goa is still not OUR home?….Yes, we can close our eyes to all of this, as it is not OUR problem…But I guarantee you our children will pay a heavy price, they will grow up homeless. Look at every society that is homeless, case in point, the native Americans, the poor folks have lost hope and their identity, they have been reduced to drug-addicts and aren’t able to function in life. This I believe the future is of the Goan generations living abroad. They will loose their roots and their identity. The Goa their parents told them about will not exist. I see no support from any of the Goa organizations abroad to support groups like GBA. Instead they brag about the past and have their parties and brag about themselves. We were blessed to be given a land that is truly a paradise. If foreigners from Europe were given a chance they would love to stay in Goa. Only now we have rich folks from Delhi that have no regard for our beautiful green hills and beautiful beaches, turning them into concrete jungles. Our ancestors preserved this place, they were environmentalist long before the environmental moment. That’s who we are, that’s what it means to be Goan.i I recently read an article of the Goans in Africa fighting for justice and paying the price…i.e. De Gama Pinto to mention one. Why don’t we have more people fighting for the injustice that is going on in Goa? I worry about the few saviors with GBA, who are fighting for the future of Goa, it is like David up against Goliath…they are up against Greed and corrupt politicians. If Goans were able to fight for freedom in Africa and everywhere else, why don’t we care now, for our own home? Once we destroy our natural beautiful homeland, there is no going back. I appeal to all the Goan organizations around to world to wake up and support your fellow men and women, like the GBA organization, in this important struggle. Stop the boring parties….do something constructive to save your motherland! Organize fund raising events to support these groups, set up workshops to educate fellow Goans on the struggle that is going on everyday in Goa. Invite folks from the GBA to speak at events. Find a way to fund these groups with the simple common folks in the villages. Since we can’t physically be there to take the blows from the sticks on our heads from the hired gundas, at least we can send money or are going to remain selfish. Travel to Goa and see the destruction that is going on everyday….Goa cries for you!..She is your home…..Right now our ancestors are turning over in their graves at the all of us who just don’t care! We rather go to our drinking parties at our Goan Organizations and proudly call ourselves Goans. Soon we will not have anything to celebrate about. Shame on us!….I say, Shame on the leadership of the Goan Organizations abroad for sitting idly by….Don’t you all understand, our motherland is at stake! The home of your ancestors…..
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