Panaji, June 23: Social and environmental activist Prof. Ramrao Wagh has called upon the people of Goa to unite against the State Government’s proposal to declare 56 villages as “Urban Areas”, warning that the move would irreversibly damage Goa’s rural character, agriculture and fragile environment.

Prof. Wagh has submitted memoranda to the Government and the three village panchayats in the St. Andre Assembly constituency—Curca-Bambolim-Talaulim, Goa Velha and Agassaim—urging them to oppose the proposal.

He pointed out that this is the second attempt by the Government to urbanise these villages. In January 2020, a gazette notification declaring the same villages as urban areas had triggered widespread public protests, forcing the Government to withdraw the notification within just 20 days.

According to Wagh, the Government has once again revived the proposal by sending a memorandum through the Directorate of Panchayats in the second half of May 2026, directing the affected village panchayats to discuss the issue and submit their suggestions within one month.

Expressing concern over the lack of public discussion, Wagh said that except for one or two village panchayats, there has been virtually no debate on the proposal. He warned that the apparent lethargy of panchayat bodies could result in the villages being declared urban areas without adequate public consultation.

Wagh, who has previously contested elections from the St. Andre constituency and has been actively involved in environmental and agricultural issues, expressed particular concern over the inclusion of Agassaim (Mecurim), Goa Velha and Bambolim in the list of affected villages.

The proposed list includes 16 villages in Bardez, 10 in Salcete, 9 each in Tiswadi and Ponda, 4 each in Pernem and Mormugao, and one village each in Bicholim, Sattari, Quepem and Sanguem, besides villages such as Karapur, St. Cruz, Chimbel, St. Estevam and Divar.

Describing the proposal as a revival of a policy that had already been rejected by the public in 2020, Wagh said there was no fresh justification for attempting the reclassification.

He warned that granting urban status to these villages would have several adverse consequences, including:

• Easier conversion of khazan lands, paddy fields and ecologically sensitive areas for development.
• Increased construction due to a higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR), leading to excessive urbanisation and pressure on roads, water supply and other infrastructure.
• A significant rise in property tax, shop licence fees, building permission charges and sanitation fees, increasing the financial burden on local residents.
• Weakening of the powers of Village Panchayats and Gram Sabhas, with decision-making shifting from local communities to government authorities.

Calling the proposal a serious threat to Goa’s rural heritage and environment, Wagh demanded that the Government withdraw the May 2026 directives and permanently abandon all plans to declare villages such as Goa Velha and Bambolim as urban areas.

He also appealed to the Curca-Bambolim-Talaulim, Goa Velha and Agassaim Village Panchayats to convene emergency Gram Sabhas, pass resolutions opposing the proposal and submit strong protest memoranda to the Government, stating that the move threatens not only Goa’s villages but also the very existence of the Gram Sabha and Panchayat system.