Panaji (Goa) After protests from the six village panchayats against inclusion of their lands in Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority, Town and Country Planning minister Vijai Sardesai has said that the issue would be discussed in TCP meeting scheduled on March 19.

Sardesai made this statement after six village committees submitted their objection to him over inclusion of their villages in Greater Panaji PDA which is headed by former St Cruz MLA Atanasio alias Babush Monserratte.

“Finally those opposed to  Greater Panaji PDA called on me for the first time at Secretariat. GPPDA was constituted by TCP Board after written requests from the concerned MLAs and some Sarpanchas who have now changed their stance. Now board will debate this in meeting on March 19,” said Sardesai in his tweet which he released along with the pictures of protestors who met him on Monday.

The MLAs including St Cruz’s Tony Fernandes and St Andre’s Francis Silveira who had initially signed in favour of GGPDA have now changed their stand sensing the pulse of the people. Both the legislators are considered to be close to Monserratte, who has helped them get elected in their respective constituencies.

Six village panchayats including St Cruz, Siridao, Batim, Mandur-Azossim, Chimbel, Curca-Bambolim-Telaulim have expressed their opposition to inclusion in GPPDA.

The memorandums signed by different village panchayats was submitted to the Sardesai, which has claimed that the village development committees were not taken into confidence before deciding on such an important aspect of development.

St Cruz village panchayat has demanded that the villages of Cujira and Calapur be denotified from the PDA while Siridao village panchayat does not want Siridao village in the PDA.

Batim village panchayat has demanded that the village of Gancim be denotified from the PDA, Mandur-Azossim does not want Azossim in the PDA. Chimbel village panchayat does not want Chimbel in the PDA while Curca-Bambolim-Telaulim does not want Curca, Bambolim, Telaulim and Gaolim-Maula be denotified from PDA.