SEMINAR ON REGIONAL PLAN 202: IMAGINING GOA’S FUTURE

PANJIM September 14: A day-long seminar on ‘Regional Plan 2021: Imagining Goa's Future’ is being organised by Goenkarancho Ekvot, on September 18, at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

Goenkarancho Ekvot, a registered organisation of Goans residing in Delhi and the adjoining states, was formed to promote the social and cultural ethos of Goa by organising activities, spreading awareness about Goa's culture and traditions.

"The seminar will focus on the draft RPG 2021 of Goa, which was proposed by the government as an alternative to the RPG 2011," the president of Goenkarancho Ekvot, Ms Suman Kurade said.

The draft RPG 2021 was prepared by a Task Force constituted through a gazette notification and was chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, with the noted architect, Mr Charles Correa and seven others as its members.

"Goenkarancho Ekvot has invited some members of this Task Force as speakers for the seminar," Ms Kurade informed, noting that the draft RPG 2021 attempts to forge a relationship between spatial planning through land uses and socio-economic development planning through sectoral players, thus attempting to usher in mapped data as a developmental base and as understood by the people in lieu of the written proposals as in vogue for the people.

"It is for the first time that spatial planning and land use is being determined with people's participation from the village level upwards," she added.

The seminar also seeks views on the pressing issue of spatial frameworks for development, as land all over India is getting scarcer with more competitive uses. The draft RPG 2021 highlights the need of such frameworks as a major objective through the people.

Mr Edgar Ribeiro, adviser to the state government on draft RPG 2021, will chair a session on ‘The Merits and Implications of the Regional Plan 2021’. Mr S T Putturaju, senior planner of the state government and head of the support team for draft RPG 2021 will deliver an address in this session on ‘The basic ingredients of draft RPG 2021’.
The noted Goan architect, Mr Dean D’Cruz, who is a member of draft RPG 2021 Task Force will speak on ‘The impact and the effects on Goa’s Ecology, Environment and Builtscape if the Regional Plan 2021 is implemented’, while Mr Blaise Costabir, an industrialist and representative of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry on draft RPG 2021 Task Force will deliver an address on ‘The Impact of the Regional Plan 2021 on the Economic Development of Goa’.

Another session on ‘Effective Implementation of the Regional Plan’ chaired by Mr Peter De Souza, the director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Simla will witness Mr Matanhy Saldanha, former Minister for Tourism delivering an address on ‘The Golden Mean between the Goa Government’s Policy and the Aspirations of the Goan people’, Dr Oscar Rebello of Save Goa Campaign and member of the draft RPG 2021 Task Force will cover the topic ‘The participatory process for implementation of RPG 2021 – opinions and feedback from citizens and actions by government thereon’, while Mr Rajan Narayan, editor, Goan Observer will speak about ‘Implementation of Regional Plan 2021 – Through the lens of media’.

Prof Madhav Gadgil, the chairman of the Western Ghats ecology expert panel and a member of the National Advisory Council, as well as Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council will deliver the valedictory address (NT)