Carlos is Mormugao PDA’s new chief

Panaji: After the high court observed the Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) was not constituted following provisions of the Goa, Daman and Diu Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, the MPDA was reconstituted and 12 members, with Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida as its chairman, were appointed.
Urban development minister Milind Naik, panchayat minister Mauvin Godinho and Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha are also on the new MPDA board.The appointment of the 12 members paves the way for the lifting of the court-ordered embargo on decisions taken by the MPDA. The restraint on the board had stalled projects worth crores of rupees in and around the port town.
For the last 18 months, the MPDA was functioning with just two officials. Subsequently, a PIL was filed by Chicalim resident Edwin Mascarenhas raising concerns over the legal composition of the authority.
According to the Goa, Daman & Diu Town & Country Planning Act, 1974, every planning and development authority constituted should have members of the legislative assembly of the planning area, representatives of local authorities and other government-appointed members with special knowledge or practical experience in town and country planning, architecture, engineering, transport, industry, commerce and agriculture.
The division bench, comprising Justice N M Jamdar and Justice Prithviraj Chavan held that an embargo ordered by the court on October 16 in an earlier hearing on MPDA’s decisions would continue till the government completed the process to notify all the members of the authority.
Almeida was the former MPDA chairman under the Lamikant Parsekar government till the assembly election was declared in 2017 and election code of conduct was enforced.