For Daijiworld Media Network —Goa (CN)
News From Sanjay Borkar, Pic by Sagun Gawade

Margoa, Jun 18: Residents of Fatorda and Margoa, accompanied by members of the citizens welfare front (CWF), barged into the office of Antonio Diniz, member secretary of the south Goa planning and development authority (SGPDA), on Tuesday, June 17.

They were seeking a copy of the outline development plan (ODP) which Diniz has refused to give them despite repeated requests over the past one month. The crowd alleged that there may be mass discrepancies in the plan as the SGPDA had made changes after the last objection/suggestion process.

Hundreds of people raised slogans accusing the SGPDA officials of being thieves. The police were called in for evacuation of the protestors, which led to more tension. After assurances that they would not be arrested, the crowd calmed down.

Sanjeev Raiturkar, the president of CWF, phoned Mauvin Gudinho, MLA and president of SGPDA, in front of Diniz and narrated the issue and demanded suspension of the secretary for misguiding the locals.

Gudinho urged the protestors to stay calm and assured them that their demand would be met. He also ordered Diniz to handover a copy of the ODP. However, Diniz said that the printer was faulty and said he would hand over the same on June 18.

The CWF has stated that unless they get a copy of the ODP on the specified date, they will intensify the agitation.