PANAJI
In what is seen as a big boost to Goa's lucrative and often controversial real estate sector, the State government has designated March 2, 2023 as the date on which will come into force amendments to two major laws governing the sector -- The Goa Town and Country Planning Act and the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act.
The first gives powers to The Chief Town Planner (Planning) to "alter" and "modify" the Regional Plan by a mere gazette notification on the government's direction while the second amendment empowers the government to permit waiver of any land development and construction law, rule or regulation ostensibly to promote 'affordable housing'.
The notification designating March 2, 2023 as the date from which the amendment to the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, will come into force was issued by the government earlier this week.
The amendment was passed by the Goa legislative assembly during the winter session in mid-January and was assented to by the Governor, P S Sreedharan Pillai.
The need for such changes in the Regional Plan, according to the amendment, will be determined by the Government for rectifying any "inadvertent error".
Another ground the amendment cites for warranting modification in the Regional Plan is what it calls "correction of inconsistent/ incoherent zoning proposals" in the regional plan.
The government may direct the CTP (Planning) to carry out such alteration/modification to the regional plan by notification in the Official Gazette only to such extent prescribed, the amendment states.
Meanwhile, the State government has also designated March 2, 2023, as the enforcement date for another amendment to a law related to construction land development -- Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act -- which gives itself the power to waive any its provision to facilitate policies on housing.
The amendment, again passed during the winter session, inserts a provision in the principal law governing land development and building construction arms the government with powers to itself to "relax" any provision of such regulations to implement policies including for "inclusive" and "affordable" housing.
The new provision inserted in the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act reads: “Where the Government is of the opinion that it is necessary or expedient so to do, it may, by order, for reasons to be recorded in writing, relax any provision of such regulations to the extent as may be prescribed for the purpose of implementation of Government policies including land development for inclusive housing and affordable housing.”
The amendments, in effect, give the government powers to permit by-passing, and by implication, allow to violate any of the existing land development, building and construction rules and regulations ostensibly to promote 'affordable housing' and was strongly objected to by the Opposition on those grounds.
