10 villages removed from Panaji development authority purview

Ten villages in Goa, which were brought under the ambit of the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority (GPPDA), will no longer be part of the recently-constituted body, the state government said today.

Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai, while announcing the decision to drop the villages from the GPPDA's purview, said this was an "Easter gift" to people on behalf of the BJP-led government.

Residents of several villages around Panaji had been objecting to their inclusion in the GPPDA, formed under the chairmanship of former minister Atanasio Monserratte.

"The cry of the people is 'the voice of God' and there's no better time to heed to it than this holy weekend.

"Therefore, taking the wishes of people as their command and standing by the age old adagethat humility is the foundation for all other virtues, I declare that all villages included in the GPPDA will be dropped with an immediate effect," Sardesai said at a press conference here.

"Like any Goemkar (Goan), there's nothing I desire more than seeing Goa retain its unique identity not just in our way of life but also in the way Goa looks and feels."
"My sole objective as an elected representative of people is to listen to the voice of people and act in their interests."