Residents question legality of IPA proposal as objections mount
File photo of the facility set up by Ms Hughes Precision on the Naqueri plateau.
MARGAO
The Goa government's proclamation to establish a dedicated propellant storage facility for Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt Ltd in Naqueri village through the Investment Promotion Area (IPA) route has triggered a host of questions, with residents raising serious concerns over the zoning status of the land identified for the project.
At the heart of the debate is a crucial question that has dominated discussions across the Naqueri-Betul plateau: Does the land earmarked for the project fall under orchard or settlement zones, making it eligible for declaration as an Investment Promotion Area, or is it classified as natural cover, where developmental activities are restricted?
Local residents and activists have sounded a note of caution, claiming that the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board cannot legally declare an Investment Promotion Area on land falling outside settlement and orchard zones. According to them, preliminary scrutiny of land records suggests that the property in question is categorised as natural cover and not as a development zone.
Questions raised over zoning status
"The entire legality of the project hinges on the zoning status of the land. If the land is indeed classified as natural cover, then serious questions arise about the validity of declaring it an Investment Promotion Area," said a local resident involved in examining the relevant land records.
While residents continue to gather documentary evidence to support their claims, government officials have remained tight-lipped on the issue. District authorities have declined to comment on the proclamation, while officials from other departments have refrained from making public statements regarding the project's zoning implications.
The spotlight may now turn towards the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, which could face scrutiny over whether the proposed site falls within permissible development zones.
IPA provisions become point of contention
The government's decision to invoke provisions of the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation of Single Window Clearance Act, 2021, has become a major point of contention among residents.
Under the proclamation, once an area is declared an Investment Promotion Area, several provisions of state laws relating to local authorities cease to apply within the notified area. This includes regulations governing building permissions, construction controls, and the levy and collection of certain taxes, fees and other dues by local bodies.
Residents fear that the move could effectively bypass the jurisdiction of the village panchayat and other local authorities in matters concerning construction approvals and regulatory oversight.
According to local residents, the proclamation appears to be an attempt to circumvent the applicability of panchayat laws and rules governing construction activities in the area.
"The concern is that the IPA mechanism is being used to override local governance structures and planning safeguards that would otherwise apply to such a project," a resident alleged.
Residents fear bypassing of local bodies
In the proclamation, the government has invited all persons who have any objections to the proposal to submit the same in writing, along with reasons therefor, to the Director of Industries, Trade and Commerce, Government of Goa, Panaji, Goa, within a period of one month from the date of publication of this Proclamation in the Official Gazette.
Local residents are bracing themselves to lodge their objections to the establishment of the dedicated propellant storage facility for Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt Ltd in Naqueri.
