The Town and Country Planning Department has, in a notification, issued at the end of April directed the North Goa Planning and Development Authority “to undertake alteration to the ODP by synchronising it with the smart city development plan.”
the goan I network
PANAJI
In an order issued on April 29, Chief Town Planner Dr S T Putturaju has said that the government has “assented to the views of the North Goa PDA that it is necessary to undertake the revision of the entire Panaji outline Development Plan to envision the concept and ethos of the smart city for the paradigm change in the urban form and urbanism.”
Addressing a joint press conference Chairman of the North Goa Planning and Development Authority Michael Lobo and Panaji MLA Siddharth Kuncalinekar said that the move would focus on helping decade old buildings reconstruct with amenities like that of parking.
“We plan to increase the FAR in Panaji to 200 and help old buildings that have been built decades ago when parking was not an issue to reconstruct,” Kuncalienkar said.
He was however quick to add that heritage structures would not be demolished and increased FAR would not be applicable in heritage areas.
“Parking has become a big problem in Panaji. Many of the buildings which have been constructed before didn’t have these amenities but now they are very important,” he added. The process will also include rectifying errors in the Panaji ODP and other minor changes, Kuncalienkar said.
