The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department and its Scrutiny Committee on a petition filed by the Goa Foundation challenging large-scale relaxations in Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and building height limits granted across the State.
The Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Ashish Chavan issued the notice on Thursday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Goa Foundation. The NGO questioned amendments made to the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010, which empower the government to approve applications for FAR and height relaxations contrary to the prescribed norms.
The petition has challenged the legality of over 739 such relaxations granted by the TCP Department in different parts of Goa.
The Court has allowed the respondents four weeks to file their replies, after which the petitioners will file rejoinders. The matter has been listed for further hearing on November 17, 2025.
In its petition, the Goa Foundation has contended that the amendments permit “unprecedented” and “arbitrary” increases in FAR and building heights on a plot-to-plot basis, without public scrutiny or environmental and planning impact assessments. It argued that such discretionary powers are contrary to the principles of town planning and violate Article 14 of the Constitution by allowing arbitrary and unequal treatment of developers.
The petition further claims that allowing FAR 200 and a 24-metre height in settlement zones capped at FAR 60 and 9 metres effectively nullifies the zoning framework. It also points out that permissions equivalent to C-1 zones—meant only for central business districts of Panaji, Margao, Mormugao, Mapusa, and Ponda—have been granted in village panchayat areas and non-CBD municipal zones, allegedly in violation of the regulations.
According to the petitioner, both the authorities and applicants have described such permissions as “zone changes,” confirming that these constitute “disguised backdoor zoning changes” not permitted by law.
The PIL further alleged that the refusal to publish details of the 739 permissions and NOCs issued till January 2025 amounts to a denial of public transparency and participation, and conceals “a scandal and scam of monumental proportions.”
The Goa Foundation has sought to have the relaxations quashed, claiming they violate the citizens’ fundamental right to a planned environment envisaged under the Town and Country Planning Act and the Building Regulations.
