Assuring that the revamped Regional Plan 2021 would be ready in 6 to 8 months and positively come out before the end of the ongoing financial year, the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, on Wednesday, said that the village panchayats will be allowed to handle only selected developmental parameters as per the plan.
“The government will, initially prepare a full-scale final draft of the revamped RP 2021,” he added, pointing out that discussions would be held with all the important government departments for working out general basic idea for the plan. Speaking during the Question Hour, the Chief Minister said that parameters such as electricity and water supply would be handled by government departments due to the limited resources and infrastructure with the village panchayats to handle them, while the local self-help bodies would be allowed to handle some parameters like development of areas under their jurisdiction.
“There are many good features in the Regional Plan 2021 as prepared by the erstwhile government,” Mr Parrikar admitted, observing that these features, especially, the non-controversial features would be sent to the village panchayats in the first phase, to receive suggestions on the to-be revamped RP 2021. ”The Regional Plan forms the basis for development of the state, however, if the village panchayats desire to decide anything and everything about the plan then there would be severe problem,” he maintained.
Stating that the people have started overreacting on some things in the existing RP 2021, the Chief Minister said that appropriate mechanism would be worked out to free the Regional Plan from the controversies. He also observed that land conversion has become a lucrative business in the state. Replying to a supplementary question, Mr Parrikar said that if Google Earth, which is a virtual globe, map and geographical information programme, was used in the preparation of the Regional Plan 2021 by the previous government then there should be no objection to it. “One can understand many things from Google Earth, and the programme is not that bad,” he concluded.
It was also informed that there is no provision under the Town and Country Planning Act for taking the MLAs into confidence, while preparing the Regional Plan, nevertheless, the government would invite their suggestions.
Courtesy: NT
