Summary:
St Cruz villagers have also planned a ‘morcha’ on Sunday.St Cruz village development committee convener, Elsa Fernandes also criticized the corruption-ridden planning process dominated by politicians. The town and country planning minister has stated that vertical development is inevitable, but St Cruz residents are demanding exclusion of their village as they are fully aware of politician-engineered superfast vertical development. PANAJI: St Cruz villagers demanded that St Cruz MLA, Tony Fernandes and sarpanch Marian Araujo who are members of Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA) should tender their resignations in support of their demand for exclusion of their area from PDA.Speaking to reporters, Arturo D’Souza, a local activist said that the development of 10 villages, proposed by GPPDA, without consulting the villagers is completely unconstitutional. Further, he said this concept of PDAs should be discussed in the forthcoming assembly session.“If legislators are unable to do it, we will take the agitation ahead in a big way,” he said. “In no way a single village can be split up for planning between two different authorities and especially so where the planning would involve politicians and not planning experts.”GPPDA comprises 11 politicians and four businessmen/builders with profit-oriented motives, the villagers alleged.In seeking special status, Goa had suggested that its land being one of its prime resources along with its biodiversity needs protection..