PANAJI
A day after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant moved to revoke land conversion approvals for an 80,000 sq mt plot in his Sanquelim constituency under Section 39A, Opposition MLAs have stepped up pressure on the government, exploring a coordinated push to seek similar rollbacks across Goa, with their respective constituencies or talukas as prime focus.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said he has sought detailed information on all zone change permissions in Salcete and will soon approach the Chief Minister demanding revocation of such approvals. Questioning the intent behind the swift action in Sanquelim, Alemao said the government must clarify whether the move would be replicated across constituencies or was limited to political considerations.
“With the speed at which the Chief Minister directed TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane to withdraw 39A approvals in Sanquelim, the question is whether the same urgency will be shown elsewhere to halt Goa’s destruction,” Alemao said, adding that people would otherwise see the decision as an attempt to safeguard a vote bank.
St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar echoed the demand, calling for a blanket revocation of all permissions granted under Section 39A of the TCP Act. He urged MLAs cutting across party lines to write to the government and the Chief Minister seeking cancellation of such approvals.
“Just as the CM stopped land conversion in his own constituency, similar action must be taken across Goa, where valleys, orchards, paddy fields and no-development slopes have been converted under Section 39A,” Borkar said.
Prior to the Sanquelim decision, it was sustained public agitation by the people of Pale-Siridao in St Andre constituency that forced the government to withdraw all provisional and final permissions granted under the controversial provision. A week-long hunger strike and large-scale protests had compelled authorities to act.
The issue has also surfaced in North Goa, where the government has already kept on hold provisional approvals for zone changes under Section 39A in Pernem following concerns raised by Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar. Arolkar had alleged that nearly 60 lakh sq m of land covering 238 properties in the taluka had been converted under the provision.
However, official records of the TCP department indicate that only 21 cases have been finally notified under Section 39A, covering a total area of 2,36,366 sq m, all of which have now been kept on hold.
Meanwhile, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai maintained that Section 39A does not apply to his constituency as it falls under the Outline Development Plan (ODP).
