RP 2021- All settled?
Continuing with our probe into what the RP 2021 planned for each village, we focus on Loutolim. Franky Monteiro, a resident activist reports
n Development of huge tracts of land should be done in a phased manner with plans being submitted after a minimum four-year gap.
n No further land acquisition for industrial estates/zones should be permitted as the current industrial estate already covers 30 per cent of the total village area.
n Land acquired for setting up SEZs and housing ought to be returned to the village panchayat
n Land shown as being occupied by illegal shipyards, dockyards on Zuari river should be withdrawn.
LOUTOLIM: The village level committee (VLC) after strenuous efforts to prepare the plan as per ground reality proposed settlement areas as per present and future needs of the village. Errors existing in the 2001 regional plan, like paddy fields and orchard lands shown as settlements, were proposed to be classified as per ground reality. Errors in the Task Force draft e.g. settlement areas shown as part of lake, nullahs shown as roads, paddy fields shown as settlements were also proposed to be classified as per the ground reality. A individual survey number-wise land-use table was prepared by the VLC stating the classification of lands demarcated in the 2001 plan, task force draft plan and the proposed classification of lands by the VLC with a remarks column justifying the VLC's actions..
The VLC also adopted resolutions for the use of lands to be considered by the SLC (state level committee), important among them being:
(i) Development of huge tracts of land can be permitted provided only upto 5,000 square. metres is developed in a phased manner with a gap of minimum four years till the next development plans are submitted. No development of land beyond 5,000 square metres. should be permitted at a time.
ii) Land marked as proposed industrial zones under survey numbers 163, 198, 197, 196 in draft RP 2021 to be strictly omitted/withdrawn. As the existing industrial estate covers almost 30 per cent of the total village area, no further land acquisition should be made for industrial zones/ estates in Loutolim.
(iii) Lands which were acquired for expansion of Verna industrial estate phase IV and allotted to SEZ promoters for setting up SEZ and housing under the 20 point programme should be handed over to Loutolim village panchayat since allotments for SEZs have been quashed by the High Court.
(iv) Shipyards and dockyards illegally set up on the banks of Zuari river in Loutolim village from Rassaim to Vanxem under survey numbers 306 upto 320 and 500 to 502, not to be marked as repair shipyard/dockyard in RP 2021.It was proposed that the land use shown in the 2001 RP which were shown as settlement/orchard/agricultural be maintained.
The notified RP 2021 for Loutolim doesn't depict any of these. The SLC has prepared an all new plan with its own arbitrary incorporations which were neither demarcated in the Task Force plan nor in the village level committee plan.
Discrepancies and flaws of the notified plan for Loutolim
-Water bodies, no development slopes, paddy fields and dense forest lands have been shown as settlement areas.
-Lake shown as pond.
-Tenanted lands and afforamentos granted by the communidade for agricultural purposes shown as general industries, quarries.
-20 point programme settlement shown in the industrial estate 3 kms. away from the nearest settlement..
Densely populated areas on the banks of river Zuari of Loutolim village are shown as dockyards and shipyards with a mysterious foot note "The shipyards/dockyards are indicated as per satellite image and do not grant legal status." Such a footnote on the notified land use plan explains the vested interests and malafide intentions of the government.
Depiction of shipyards/dockyards on the plans will grant automatic legal status to illegal shipyards (irrespective of the foot note) who are bound to regularize their illegal activities based on such arbitrary demarcation on the plans. The 2001 regional plans and the village level committee prepared plans indicated these areas as agricultural/settlement.
This begs a fundamental question. Who benefits? Secondly, are local, home grown Goans or even NRI Goans investing in homes and industries in Goa. Or are builders set to change the topography and skyline. The answer is too obvious to merit an elaboration.
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