By Our Chief Reporter
Panaji (Goa) AAP Goa has claimed that the PDA’s are unconstitutional, taking away the powers vested in the elected bodies under the 73rd and 74th amendment to the constitution of India by placing non elected and chosen members above the elected bodies in the matters of Planning of a particular area and thus are causing slum proliferation. Firing a fresh salvo against the authorities entrusted with regulating constructions, AAP said though there are many, the Caranzalem beach area in the capital city, under the Panjim PDA is a classic example of how natural assets such as sand dunes are destroyed, illegal shanties are freely allowed to mushroom and a Rs.150 crores poor quality cement road constructed through someone’s fancy imagination had become a bane to road safety with no control on speed and the number of road intersections.
“With already massive debris filling causing destruction of sand dunes and with the CCP, an IAS Commissioner, PDA, GCZMA and Forests and other authorities unable to act, an illegal construction is now squeezing itself into a small green area just before the slope leading to Dona Paula at the intersection of the old and cement road. This will cause a traffic blind at the intersection leading to accidents. If their concept of planning and development is to put life of people at risk, then they should get awarded on the basis of fatalities on the road” said AAP leader Valmiki Naik.
Stating that the stretch between Miramar and Donapaula was an ecosensitive zone, AAP said that most of the officers have got themselves caged for safety and hence were unable to act. ” There is no fear of the law. One can destroy environment at will as is happening not only in Panaji but across Goa. We demand that the illegal construction be stopped forthwith and a survey of the acquired land be carried out to identify the squatters on the Government land” Said Naik. It may be recalled that AAP had filed a compliant with the local Police against some persons involved in the destruction of sand dunes at Caranzalem.
