PANAJI
Expressing displeasure over frequent revision of Outline Development Plans (ODPs) of the planning areas, the Assurance Committee of the Goa Legislative Assembly has recommended the State government to amend the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act to freeze the ODPs for a certain period, once drafted.
The TCP department informed the Committee that as and when the new government takes over, the ODPs go for revision as per the changes required by those in power.
The Assurance Committee headed by MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, in its report submitted to the Speaker, with regards to various assurances made on the Floor of the House, observed that “there is no fixed time specified for changing the ODPs”.
“There is no fixed time specified for changing the ODP and feels that an amendment be made in the TCP Act to fix the time period for change in the ODP which would also be better for administrative purposes,” the Committee recommended.
The issue was raised in the House by MLA Alexio Sequeira and MLA Vijai Sardesai who pointed out that once the ODPs are finalised, they need to be frozen for a particular period of time and should not be opened up every now and then for revision or change.
The officials of the TCP department during their oral evidence before the Assurance Committee mentioned “that every new Government that is formed has a change in the thought process and find the need to revise the ODP. There is no fixed criteria for making a change in the ODP”.
The department further said that as per the Section 29 of the TCP Act, 1974, the ODP has to be prepared not later than one year from the date of constitution or approval of the Planning and Development Authorities.
Further, under Section 39, of the TCP Act, at any time after date on which a Development Plan for an area comes into operation and at least once in every (10) ten years after that date, the PDA, directed by the TCP Board and the Government can make further minor changes in such Plan as may be for correcting any typographical or cartographical errors and omissions or details of proposals not fully indicated in the Plan or changes arising out of the implementation of the proposals in the Development Plan.
