MLA: Comunidades ready to give land for public use

Calangute: The comunidades of Calangute and Candolim are ready to give lakhs of square meters of land for public utility projects which will benefit the public, says Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the draft land use map for Calangute and Candolim villages on Wednesday morning, Lobo, who is the chairman of the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA), said that with the draft land use map now open for the public to inspect and provide their suggestions, the development of the coastal tourism hub would be done in a planned manner, henceforth.
“Whatever development that has happened in Calangute-Candolim has happened in a haphazard and unplanned manner because it was all done by builders, resort owners, without any government planning for the villages. With this map now out, after 30 days, once the people have given their suggestions, then we will come out with a draft outline development plan (ODP) and in three months, the ODP will be finalized. The ODP will then be in place for the next 10 years,” he said.
Lobo said that while preparing the land use map, the comunidades of Calangute and Candolim have identified large tracts of open land which could be utilized for the benefit of the public. “The Calangute comunidade is ready to give five lakh sq m, and the Candolim comunidade is ready to give seven-eight lakh sq m. In the OPD, we will be marking the areas for multi-level parking lots, multi-purpose halls, hospitals, schools, playgrounds, indoor stadiums, a sewerage treatment plant for Candolim, joggers park, roads, footpaths, etc,” he said.
The long-pending alternative road from Baga to Sinquerim via Boa Vista and Arradi will also be shown in the ODP, he said, adding that the road will be taken up on a priority once the ODP is notified.
The land use map has been kept open for the public for suggestions and objections for 30 days and is available for inspection at the Calangute and Candolim village panchayat offices, besides the NGPDA branch office behind the primary health centre at Candolim. Due to the booming tourism industry in the two coastal villages, which have become the hub of tourism in north Goa, the state government had brought Calangute and Candolim villages under the NGPDA in January 2015 to better plan development. Later, in December last year, the NGPDA had started the process of compiling the land use register of the two villages so as to draw up the land use map. While the Candolim panchayat members participated in the preparation of the land use map by giving their inputs, the Calangute panchayat members boycotted the entire process.