the goan I network
PANAJI
Over six lakh square metres of land in locations across Goa and hitherto demarcated as salt pans, paddy fields, no development zones, natural c
over, orchard and cultivable, are lined up for change of land use zoning in 60-odd applications before the Town and Country Planning Board.
In most cases, these are parcels of land where constructions and development has already taken place and are now being sought to be post-facto regularized on the back of the recent amendment in the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974.
The amendment inserted a new provision, section 16B by which the Town and Country Planning Board is empowered to make changes in the Regional Plan’s land use plan on a case to case basis following applications from individual land holders.
The TCP Board which met last week had already cleared 18 applications and recommended change of zone from orchard to settlement and institutional of nearly 8-lakh square metres of land.
In Gaucim of Tiswadi taluka, a real estate firm has sought the conversion of some 2.46 lakh square metres of orchand land to settlement zone.
Applications have also come in for change in zone of lands demarcated as paddy fields or cultivable land to settlement in Raia, Cuncolim, Fatorda, Bastora, Guirim and Aldona.
Among these are two applications for conversion of 3800 square metres and 5,400 square metres from paddy field to settlement zone in Aldona village. Some cases of conversions sought of paddy fields, however, are small parcels of around 300 square metres apparently for personal housing of the farm land owner.
In Ambelim village of Salcete taluka, one application seeks conversion to settlement zone a parcel of 3000 square metres of land which the RP-21 shows as agricultural and orchard with a water body in it. Another proposal from Nerul in Bardez is seeking conversion of nearly 20,000 square metres shown as ‘salt pan’ in the Regional Plan 2021 to ‘settlement’ zoning.
In another case from Cuncolim, 2,575 square metres of land was marked as ‘settlement’ in RP-2001 but is demarcated as ‘paddy field’ in RP-21. The owner is seeking its conversion to settlement.
In St Jose de Areal, a family has applied for conversion of 61,000-odd square metres of its ancestral land. In this case, it was shown in RP-2001 as ‘settlement’, a small portion of it as industrial and a smaller part as ‘cultivable’. But in RP-21, it is shown as settlement and partly industrial. The application seeks that the total area be changed to ‘settlement’ and a very small portion as ‘industrial’.
More such applications are expected to reach the office of the Town and Country Planning Department.
TCP Minister, Vijai Sardesai has drawn intense criticism and flak from the Opposition Congress, civil society and green NGOs for what they say is a sell-off to the builder and real estate lobby. Sardessai however claims the move is
