TCB BOARD PLANS RS 1000 CRORE SCAM CITY NEAR BASILICA OF BOM JESUS, OLD GOA, ALLEGES VIJAI SARDESAI
MARGAO: Goa Forward Party (GFP) President and MLA Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday demanded that the State government should immediately drop the proposed move to extend the boundaries of Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA) upto Corlim village boundary as it will destroy heritage and conservation of Old Goa.
Addressing a press conference at Margao, Sardesai said the people are busy fighting Goa being converted into coal hub, the government is busy planning a Rs 1000 crore scam city near the world heritage sites of Old Goa.
Sardesai said that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board on 20th November resolved to extend the Kadamba Plateau Planning area up to Corlim Village which includes heritage sites of Old Goa. The Board resolved to convert it into a C1 zone where the buildings having a height of 30 metres can be built. The zone is within 100 metres from the Basilica of Bom Jesus, where the body of St Francis Xavier is kept, he said and called upon the government to immediately reconsider its decision.
Sardesai cautioned that of the area is converted to C1 it will destroy the heritage and conservation of Old Goa in the name of so called development.
He also demanded to know whether the proposed solid waste management plant at Bainguinim was to cater to this new planned city. Old Goa will lose its religious significance if the government goes ahead with its proposed move, he said and urged the TCB Board to drop agenda item which taken for consideration on 20th November.
The GFP president also dismissed the so called daring of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in sending a demand notice to the JSW Limited asking them to Rs `156 crore towards the cess levied on transpotation of coal during last four years.
According to Sardesai, under statute, demand notice follows the show cause notice and that the JSM company had already challenged the maintainability of show cause notice before the High Court arguing that the State government had no powers to demand transportation cess and it was a Central subject.