When State turns Scam: Curious case of Goa TCP Amendment 2022

 

James Mathew, Chief Town Planner (Administration) & Ex- officio Joint Secretary issued notification on August 29, 2022 - by order and in the name of the Governor of Goa - that is destined not only affect present but also future generations of Goans: provoke and consolidate major demographic destabilization. 

 

In an Official Gazette Series I, No. 21 Government of Goa has issied death warrant to whatever remaining of Goa after being "annexed through conquest" (as observed by Supreme Court of India in Shantilal Gosalia case) in December 1961 under Soviet Union pressure, backing through veto at the United Nations and International management of an illegal conquest of Goa. Evil further strengthens instead of weakening with this notification. In faith I do pray : Thy will be done, you take care of it!

 

It appears from the cited notification that there is even a steering Committee in TCP to intensified this conquest at micro level. The code of this mysterious entity is as follows: 21/1/TCP/(A)/2021/Steering Committee/1377. It is important to find out as to who are the members of this steering committee that has put their ugly sight on Goa.

 

Nevertheless Government of Goa anticipates that people of Goa are going to be affected even negatively and therefore has asked for the objections and suggestions within 30 days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette viz 29 August 2022. So 30 days will be completed on September 27, 2022 which is known as World Tourism Day. No wonder Government of Goa intents to hand over huge amount of land to Tourism industry. That is the reason why this notification is published. It's classic case of neo-colonial penetration through tourism pretexts. It's way of taking remaining land out of control of Goans. Its legal dragnet finely weaved.

 

All the Objections and/or suggestions are to be manually handed over to:

 

The Chief Town Planner (Administration)

Town and Country Planning Department, 

2nd Floor, Dempo Tower, 

Patton Plaza, 

Panaji

 

What is proposed for Ammendment called?

Goa Land Development Building Construction (Ammendment) Regulation, 2022.

 

Which Regulation is sought to be Ammended?

Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010

 

So to understand clearly one need to get copy of this 2010 Regulations from some source.

 

There is proposal to massively parcel out Goa's land to Golf Courses, Film Cities, Film Studios, Residential Schools, Yoga Meditation Centres etc.

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Golf Course: 4,00,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Film City: 4,00,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Film Studio: 1,00,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Residential School: 2,00,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Agricultural Research Centre/ Development Centre/ Agricultural Educational Institute/ Bio-technology Unit: 2,00,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Yoga  meditation centre: 1,00,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to set up Open air sports or Religious structure: 20,000 m².

 

Minimum Land needed to contract 500 square meters of Farm House: 10,000 m².

 

Further explanation given:

 

Golf Course, Film city or Film studio to be set up only with approval of the Town and Country Planning Board and the Government. 

 

The second explanation is curiously topographic. It goes as under:

 

"The proposal of the Residential school, or Yoga meditation centre shall be permitted in any zone except Eco-sensitive such as low lying paddy fields, water bodies, kazan lands, flood prone area, land having slope more than 25%, forest land, wild life sanctuaries, and tenants agricultural land."

 

What the above explanation imply?

 

Explanation implies that Golf Courses, Film Cities and Film Studios will be permitted in all the zones including Eco-sensitive such as low lying paddy fields, water bodies, kazan lands, flood prone area, land having slope more than 25%, forest land, wild life sanctuaries, and tenants agricultural land.

 

There detailed note at 6(v) that indicate Golf Course proposals are already toying around the corridors of power. Let's see through:

 

Golf course is given 30% and 30% FAR. Details worked out for Project Report is very instructive:

 

"Project report shall be conceived with the following requirements:

 

Site planning and management,

 

Green and eco-friendly design,

 

Selection of species of landscape, 

 

Water conservation, 

 

Material selection, 

 

Energy efficiency,

 

Operation and maintainable,

 

Installation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP),

 

Creation of Catchment Areas to ensure that the project is self sufficient in water requirements,

 

Organic/ non-toxic fertilizers to be used,

 

Golf Course should be designed to act as the lungs of the locality."

 

From 1992 Goa has battled out successfully against eight Golf Course projects at Canaguinim, Tiracol, Bambolim, Amthane, Mandrem, Morjim, Vanxim and Arambol.

 

More recent combat against golf course has been in Tiracol and Vanxim. 

 

While Golf Course design is prescribed as lungs of the locality it gives an impression that Ammendment is carried on with love and concern for the planet. This image gets torn apart with Ammendment proposed at 8 (ii) g.

 

Regulation 8 (ii) (g) reads as follows:

 

"All new and renovated non-residential buildings as well as individuals and other residential buildings, co-operative Housing Societies and Colonies managed by Residents Welfare Associations (RWA), with parking demarcated for more than 10 Equivalent Car Spaces ('ECS') shall have atleast 20% of such ECS to be made 'Electric Vehicle Ready' ECS spots with conduits installed or as per the GOA ELECTRIC MOBILITY PROMOTION POLICY - 2021 as ammended from time to time".

 

Electric vehicles of all types runs on batteries. These batteries are made up of rare mineral Ore like Cobalt, Nickel and Lithuim which are dugged out of bowels of the earth though mining. Electric Vehicles are horrible for environment. Goa is an excellent example as to how this Ammendment is meant to destroy Earth and disrupt communities by promoting mining in various parts of the World. This indicate that overall thinking that has gone in conceptualizing these Ammendments are rather warped. Golf Courses is presented as lungs of the locality only as Public Relations exercise to win public legitimacy. If not then Regulations would have pointed out as to how many Golf Players are trained by schools, Colleges and Sports department of the State Government.

 

Golf is an integral part of global sex tourism. Filthy rich from in and out form the ring if exploitation. If Golf Course is installed in Goa then sex trade will take new high. Goa has already attracted ill reputation with Casinos in Mandovi and all the immoral activities that goes on there as pointed out several times by late Dr. Joe D'Souza.

 

With Mopa airport coming through its sustainable needs Golf Courses in Goa. Mopa Airport is being built by crushing down voices of local farmers. It's sustainable needs more land for Golfing. To sustain one wrong several more wrongs are being planned and enforced. This notification therefore is not a stupidity. This is treatment given to Goa as 1961 conquest booty. This will continue as long as Goans will continue to immerse in alcohol, till they accept manipulations by intellectuals, till they don't dare to stand up and retort "I am an intellectual! I too is subject of history! I won't tolerate being kicked around by anyone! I too have conscience! Voice of my conscience is supreme and none can silence it any more. I here and now speak out persistently!" this nasty horror of Goa will continue to flourish unbridled with new intensity.

 

Next important point 12 needs our attention. It puts Goa out rightly for grabs in an outstanding mockery of not only law but also common sense too. Here is how Ammendment of Regulation 24.4 (a) reads:

 

"Regularisation of unauthorized construction having an area of more than 500 m² complying with these regulations and built before 31-12-2020 may be done on recommendation of Town and Country Planning Department or the Planning and Development Authority by verifying that the construction carried out prior to the cut off date i . e 31-12-2020 period of construction based on documents like electricity bills, water supply bill, tax receipts and other evidences. Compounding fee shall be six times the normal license fee for regularization of these structures."

 

As per the dictates of logic if any structures above 500 m² are constructed in unauthorized manner and given electricity connections, water connections, even paid taxes not only these buildings needs to be pulled down like twin towers in Gurgaon few days ago but also all the officials involved in releasing electricity, water connections needs to be identified, chargesheeted, prosecuted, and sent to where they belong: Jail or gallows. 

 

Why this is not happening. It's because Goa is annexed through conquest. Conquering nation believes that it has privilege to decimate and subvert legal system into jungle law, predator-prey relationship. Regulations are ammended like this one to resemble decree of dacoits assembled in the middle of town. Large number of People in Goa are not aware of scary horror that Goa has been reduced to post 1961. This Regulation is more milestone towards Goa's sad demise.

 

This draft Ammendment can also serve as point of resurrection if people of Goa kick out their compromising postures and stand up to the rotten reality to glitter it with words of power and wisdom. This can happen only if we choose to snub. 

 

Sebastian Rodrigues