No clarity yet on whether projects planned are in govt acquired land or private properties
MARGAO
Of the three zones mooted in the Master Plan 2041 for Margao, the Margao South Zone has come under the scanner of farmers, citizens and the public at large.
And, the reason is simple – the common man seemed to have no idea and understanding of the projects, be it residential and commercial, mooted in Margao, South Zone. And, whether these projects have been planned in government acquired land or in private properties or simply the government will bulldoze again to acquire agricultural fields to implement the controversial plan.
Otherwise, consider this. Just a glance at the Master Plan for Margao South Zone would reveal a host of activities. Take note, most of the commercial and residential projects have been mooted along the South of the Margao-Quepem road.
In fact, don’t be surprised if one comes across a host of arrows on the plan showing a commercial site, an agro-tech industry, a commercial-plus-residential zone. That’s not all. Just opposite the Manohar Parrikar stadium, a green patch of land is marked for agriculture, while another plot of land, metres behind the stadium, has been shown as residential.
Again, a green buffer is shown on the plan adjoining the agriculture zone opposite the Manohar Parrikar stadium. And, besides the green buffer is a patch of land, which is shown as residential on the plan.
All these proposals have thrown up a simple question or two amongst the local farmers and citizens – how would the consultant or the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) go about in implementing the host of proposals mooted in the Margao South Zone, especially when major chunk of the land on the South of the Margao-Quepem road is owned by private owners, barring the 28,000 square metres of land acquired by GSUDA around two decades ago.
That’s not all. Questions are being asked in local circles what exactly is the proposed agro-tech industry all about – whether the proposed commercial and commercial–plus-residential proposal will come up in the GSUDA acquired plot of land admeasuring 28,000 square metres.
The Master Plan has also proposed a transit plaza and an inter-modal transit gateway on the North of the Margao-Quepem road, but South of the railway line, raising questions whether these projects are proposed in the Konkan Railway Corporation-acquired land.
What has raised doubts and confusion about the Margao South Zone is the host of activities proposed in the zone in the Master Plan 2041.
Farmer, Claudius Dias, who has been cultivating the GSUDA-acquired fields, for the last 20 years, says that he and other farmers have no idea about the fate of their fields. “The Master Plan has proposed a host of activities in the South of the Margao-Quepem road opposite the Margao railway station. We do not know whether the government wants to displace us from agriculture when we have been waging a sustained struggle to revert the zone of the fields forcibly acquired by GSUDA back to green zone,” Claudius added.
Former Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho says there’s no clarity how would GSUDA go about achieving the proposals in the Master Plan. “There is no clarity on the proposals mooted in the plan, but the government plans to implement the Master Plan. It is in the fitness of things, the GSUDA-appointed consultant holds a power point presentation vis-à-vis the Margao South Zone,” he demanded.
What the Master Plan says about Margao South Zone
