Not possible to have Regional Plan 2021 ready by Dec: Sardesai

It will not be possible for the department to have Regional Plan 2021 (land use plan) for the state ready by December 2017, the Goa Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai said today.
"I am not in a position to say that department is ready to finalise Regional Plan 2021 (the land use plan) by December 2017.
"There is lot of procedure which is involved and we will not be able to meet the deadline," Sardesai told reporters today after chairing the meeting of Town and Country Planning officials in Panaji.
Sardesai's statement comes in contradiction to the promise made by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in a recent Budget that Regional Plan 2021 would be ready by December 2017.

The minister said that a special meeting has been convened on April 19 to discuss the Regional Plan which will be chaired by Parrikar.
"The meeting will take stock of the situation as far as drafting of Regional Plan is concerned," he said.

Sardesai said that the state might have to go for Regional Plan 2032 as the time for the land use plan till 2021 is running out.
"Now we can think of Regional Plan 2032," he said.
He said that the focus of the land use plan should also be to protect our natural and architectural heritage besides maintaining the green cover in the State.

The minister said that he has met Town and Country Planning officials today to understand the working of the department and also to ensure that the services are delivered on time.
"Under Public Services Guarantee Act, the services of all the departments will have to be delivered in a time bound manner. Everything has to be made easy," said Sardesai who chaired a three-hour long meeting.