the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Saturday said that they would challenge the amendments to the TCP Act in court and that they were in the process of examining the legal options available to them.
Addressing the press, architect Tulio De Souza, a spokesperson for the Congress expressed anger at the amendments that were passed to the TCP Act, most specifically the clause pertaining to the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), and requested the Governor not to grant assent to the Draconian amendment.
De Souza said, “The amendments - Section 41 A, B, C and 30 A and B - were done without proper public consultation, and were anti-Goa and anti-people. We request the governor not to grant assent to the amendments.”
The Congress will also send a delegation to meet the governor in this regard, said DeSouza adding that they were chalking out a plan for this with the president of the GPCC.
De Souza explained that in Maharashtra, there existed a development plan within Bombay city, a plan that was not applicable to the whole state of Maharashtra. “This enables the government to enforce a development plan in the developed areas where some plot owners get aggrieved, it helps give them some relief by way of a road, public facility, or garden.”
He explained how the situation in Goa was different as the TDR rule was a blanket rule.
“No information has been given on transferable zones/ receiving zones,” he said.
“On the contrary, if you read Section 30 B - there is the right to sell/transfer surrendered development rights of agricultural land. How can there be development potential in agricultural land? And what is the necessity for the same?” he asked.
He stressed that the TCP Minister, Vijai Sardessai, who was also the state’s Agriculture Minister should have instead announced an incentive to farmers to preserve the land, or given them subsidy on land, or taught them how to increase declining production.
“Instead of doing any of this, he is seeing development potential even on agricultural land,” lamented De Souza.
De Souza also said that TDR allowed development of heritage sites, and on water bodies like ponds, lakes, farm lands, khazan lands, and forests.
“We don’t even have the right to ask for special status now that TDR is being generated on every type of land,” he said.
Spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar also made a point, asking why the government had moved the TDR amendment so fast.
“What was the necessity to move so fast when more urgent and pressing needs of Goans have not been taken care of?” he asked, stressing that the same was due to pressure from alliance partners like the Goa Forward Party.
