Team Herald
PANJIM: Come October 1, NGOs and activists will launch a unique initiative of cleaning the office of Town and Country Planning Department and demand resignation of Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik, who has been given extension in-service.
“Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik was supposed to retire from service in April 2024,” said activist Swapnesh Sherlekar.
"But the government granted him extension in service a day before the Model Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha 2024 polls came into force,” said Sherlekar.
“We will protest in front of the TCP Department office at Patto-Panjim from 3 pm to 5 pm on October 1. We will also wash and clean the TCP office,” he said.
Sherlekar said that the activists will meet Naik in delegation and tell him to resign from the post in public interest. “We will circulate a copy of the petition and hand it over to Naik. We will tell him that he has brought monumental disgrace to the CTP and caused enough damage and that the public demand his resignation from the post of CTP.”
According to Sherlekar, Naik had been CTP in 2017 and since then the TCP Department was on steady degeneration. Naik’s further continuation in office had threatened the State’s very existence.
Stating that all decisions taken by the TCP were contrary to planned development of the State, Sherlekar said that Naik endorsed and supported conversion of 23,16,572 sq mts of land under Section 16 B of TCP Act, even as the controversial Section was withdrawn due to public protest and legal action.
Naik also endorsed and supported conversion of 22,14,719 sq mts of land under Section17 (2) of TCP Act. What was worse was that of this, 8,25,648 sq mts of land was converted a week prior to Model Code of Conduct came into force for 2022 Assembly polls.
Naik further endorsed and supported the proposed conversion of 3,82,589 sq mt of land under Section 39 A of TCP Act. Therefore if not stopped, Naik will allow final notification as well, Sherlekar charged.
Sherleker alleged that shockingly Naik allowed conversion of zone change of 6,67,288 sq mts of land having non development slopes (NDS). Also more than 30 per cent of zone changes signed by the CTP had involved conversion of NDS.
Also on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), activists will hold another programme on “Bapu, Will Our Goa Survive” at Seasons Hotel, opposite Our Lady of Rosary Church, Fatorda at 3.30 pm.