PANAJI
Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane said all cases seeking change in land-use zoning under the controversial 'section 16B' will also be scrapped.
"An affidavit will be filed in this respect," Rane said.
The controversial Section 16B was inserted in the principal Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, back in 2018 by way of an amendment in the House piloted by Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief, Vijai Sardesai, who was TCP Minister then.
Several hundred proposals were cleared by Sardesai and his successor Chandrakant Kavlekar since then.
The controversial Section 16B, however, was challenged by noted environmentalist Claude Alvares before the Bombay High Court which although refrained from staying its operation ruled that all executive decisions under it would be subject to the final outcome of the challenge.
Rane also took a dig at activists saying people were being misguided on the amendments.
“What the government is saying is, let us take these projects ahead with green certification,” he said.
“Within the ambit of RP 2021 we are trying to bring different laws in a transparent manner. People may have apprehensions and I respect that,” he said.
On golf courses, he said most tourism destinations have golf courses. “People are saying we are in hurry. I am not in a hurry. We have five years before us to take these projects forward,” he said.
