the goan I network
PANAJI
The Town and Country Planning Board on Wednesday extended up to January 26 next year the deadline for individuals to approach the department with pleas for post-facto regularization of non-settlement lands which have been illegally converted, sub-divided and sold.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, who chaired the 163rd board meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday said, the department has mapped nearly 300 such cases involving a total of some 1.5-crore square metres across Goa.
Speaking to the media after the TCP Board meeting, Sardessai said, applications received for such post-facto regularization will be considered “on merit” under the provisions of the recently enacted section 16B of the TCP Act. He however added that eco-sensitive zones including forest areas, kazhan lands, agricultural lands will remain untouched.
Sardesai also said that after January 26 next year, the department will begin to act against all the cases where non-settlement land has been used for residential and other commercial purposes either by sending individual notices or by issued these through public advertisements.
Besides the need to meet planning requirements including roads, sanitation and other aspects, Sardesai said the move would also generate revenue for the government which at the rate of Rs 80 per square metre prescribed in the law will add up to a colossal Rs 120 crores if and when this 1.5 crore square metres of land is eventually regularized.
Applications will be entertained from individuals for small plots as well as from groups who have holdings in sub-divided properties, he added.
Holdings possibly belonging to several local political figures are figuring in these 300 cases, Sardessai admitted in response to a question. He however said that the TCP Board will not discriminate on political lines saying, “Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas” in jest.
Bicholim taluka tops in terms of area of land that has been illegally developed while the least number of cases are from Mormugao taluka.
