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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday extended his support to an ongoing public movement at Azad Maidan demanding the abolition of Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, urging the state government to immediately repeal the provision.
AAP leader Kejriwal made the remarks while inaugurating an e-library for students in Benaulim, South Goa. Referring to the protest at Azad Maidan, he said that Section 39A of the Goa TCP Act allegedly provides scope for corruption and has led to widespread public dissatisfaction. "I also take this opportunity to lend my support to a very big movement which is going on in Azad Maidan these days. I am told that Section 39A of the Goa TCP Act provides an opportunity for huge corruption to various ministers and various officers in Goa and because of this, the people of Goa are very fed up, and it is the demand of the people of Goa that Section 39A should be abolished," Kejriwal said in his speech. Section 39A is a provision that was inserted into the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, through an amendment in February 2024. The provision empowers the Chief Town Planner (Planning), with the approval of the Town and Country Planning Board and under the direction of the government, to alter or modify land-use zones in Goa's Regional Plan and Outline Development Plans (ODPs) for the purpose of changing how specific parcels of land are classified. Kejriwal appealed directly to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to repeal the section without delay. "I make an appeal to the Chief Minister of Goa that this section should be immediately abolished. Even if they have to call a special assembly session, they should call a special assembly session and they should abolish this particular section and I lend my support to this movement," he said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday visited MLA Viresh Borkar, who has been staging a protest against Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act. Speaking to reporters, Sawant said, "I came to meet MLA Viresh Borkar, who had been sitting on a protest for the past three days, to check on his health. I have spoken to him personally and discussed his demands. I have given him positive assurances and requested him to end the protest. I think he will end it." (ANI)
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