Digital Goa, Oct 11 – Pernem villagers met CM Pramod Sawant at the State secretariat today demanding scrapping of the draft zoning plan of Pernem. “Govt is not against the people of Pernem. No plan will be prepared without taking the villagers into confidence,” Sawant assured the people. The villagers, significant number of whom were women, gave a representation to CM demanding scrapping of the plan. Locals expressed concern if kept in abeyance, the plan is likely to be opened yet again after Lok Sabha elections. They warned that they will take to the streets if the plan is not scrapped at the earliest. The villagers pointed out that the land in which several residential houses are there has not been turned into settlement zone but 1.44 crore is shown as settlement zone in the draft zoning plan. Last week TCP Minister Vishwajeet Rane has announced that the draft plan will be kept in abeyance. The villagers said that the sarpanchas and panch members who were present at the meeting with Rane had not taken the people of their respective panchayats into confidence.
