Thursday 28 March 2024

News Analysed, Opinions Expressed

Parrikar’s Regional Plan gimmick

 

Does this mean freezing of a plan? Definitely not. It is not even putting it on hold. It is practically implementing major features of RP21 that would save Goa from destruction. But it was ‘called’ frozen and then the same land policy was taken ahead as per RP21.


The policy of chief minister Manohar Parrikar is slowly getting clearer, with his two major decisions – on the Medium of Instruction and then the Regional Plan, especially when he has to play between the right and the wrong. He may feel something is ‘right’, but upholding it could be political ‘wrong’. Sometimes, upholding wrong could be political right.

In the case of MoI, Parrikar’s principled stand was giving grants only to Konkani and Marathi medium primary schools. But Church wanted English. It was wrong. But he was politically right in upholding the wrong. He thus did it. Very skillfully.

As a result, today everybody has welcomed his decision – the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) opposing grants to English medium as well as Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE) fighting for grants t English medium schools, the ruling BJP as well as the opposition Congress, the proponents of regional languages as well as of the English language.

The trick is simple. Uphold the right and do what is wrong, if it can survive you politically. Both are happy, though partially.

Similar is the case with Regional Plan controversy. The RP21 is a good plan, but the public perception is otherwise. There were flaws in it, which the State Level Committee headed by eminent architect like Charles Correa had agreed to correct. But people wanted it to be scrapped. The hidden agenda of these ‘people’ was exposed when the town and country planning department received almost 75 per cent applications to convert green land into settlement.

But the public perception was otherwise. An impression was created that majority of the public wanted the RP21 to be scrapped. The BJP, during election, upheld the demand. When the time came to implement it, Parrikar once again played the same trick. Do what is politically right, though it was wrong. To balance it, also do what is right, but without damaging the political wrong.

The first thing thus Parrikar did was to ‘freeze’ RP21. All the NOCs to be issued as per the new plan were put on hold. Obviously, the concerned citizens pointed out that this action brings back the RP01, which the whole state was opposed to. It gives free license to the land sharks to convert the whole green field, including paddy fields and forests.

Then came the next stage when Parrikar decided to give the NOCs, but as per the guidelines laid down in RP21. No settlement would be allowed in eco-sensitive zones marked in the RP21 and no FAR would be allowed more than what was specified in the RP21, but as per VP1 and VP2.

Does this mean freezing of a plan? Definitely not. It is not even putting it on hold. It is practically implementing major features of RP21 that would save Goa from destruction. But it was ‘called’ frozen and then the same land policy was taken ahead as per RP21.

What Parrikar did in case of MoI was cheating for his political good. What Parrikar did in case of the regional plan was also a cheating for Goa’s good, while securing his seat. Both are political gimmicks. It is fooling some people for some time.

But let Parrikar know that you can’t fool all the people all the time. These political gimmicks of rights and wrongs would be a wrong trend if he continues following the same formulae. The path towards self-destruction…

Disclaimer: Views expressed above are the author's own.



I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. SANDESH PRABHUDESSAI HAS LOST HIS MENTAL BALANCE. HE SHOULD GET HIS CHECK UP DONE FROM THE MENTAL HOSPITAL AT PANAJI. ONLY A MAD MAN WILL OPPOSE PARRIKAR. THERE ARE ONLY TWO RULES IN GOA. RULE NO. 1 PARRIKAR IS ALWAYS RIGHT. RULE NO. 2 IF IN DOUBT READ RULE NO. 1.

 
JAYESH NAYAK |

Every decision will have followers and opposers. This was a a perfect blog on the editor knows somethings are right but has has skillfully opposed.

Decisions taken by Parrikar are the best possible he coud take, however right or wrong it coud be or however politically alighned it could be. Its in the interest of the Goans

 
SSS |

Blogger's Profile

 

Sandesh Prabhudesai (EdiThought)

Sandesh Prabhudesai is a journalist, presently the Editor of goanews.com, Goa's oldest exclusive news website since 1996. He has earlier worked as the Editor-in-Chief of Prudent & Goa365, Goa's TV channels and Editor of Sunaparant, besides working as a reporter for Goan and national dailies & weeklies in English and Marathi since 1987. He also reports for the BBC. He is also actively involved in literary and cultural activities. After retirement from day-to-day journalism in 2020, he is into Re-Search Journalism (पुनर्सोद पत्रकारिता), focusing on analytical articles, Video programs & Books.

 

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