PANAJI
In a bid to arrest the assault of urbanisation on architectural aesthetics in heritage precincts of Goa’s cities and semi-urban landscapes, the Conservation Committee of the Town and Country Planning Board has resolved to set up an ‘Urban Arts Commission’ to advise the State government and local self-governing bodies on the subject.
The Conservation Committee which met prior to a scheduled board meeting on Friday, however, did not specify the structure of the commission but its chairman, Vijai Sardessai, who is also TCP Minister, said it will draw its legal footing from the existing regulations under the TCP Act and no new legislation will be enacted.
“One of the members of the Commission will be an officer with statutory powers, possibly Chief Town Planner or Senior Town Planner,” Sardesai said, adding that it will advise the government and local bodies on preserving and developing urban architectural aesthetics.
The Commission will also be given a mandate of certain villages which have significant heritage richness such as Chandor and Assagao,
he said.
“Henceforth, for all new projects, what is planned to be built will have to follow the aesthetics of the area,” Sardesai said, adding that the Commission will also be tasked with the job of mapping the architectural heritage and the street-scape across Goan cities, towns and villages of heritage importance.
The Conservation Committee also decided to ask the PWD’s chief architect to come up within a week a checklist of dos and don’ts with respect to signages for heritage zones.
“The chief architect’s checklist for signages will then be implemented in heritages zones with the help of respective local bodies,” Sardesai said, adding that meetings will be conducted with all the civic bodies to adopt the plan.
Sardesai also said that in all cases where change of zone is granted, development there should adopt Goan architecture and adhere to local aesthetics.
