While the travel industry stakeholders have welcomed the government's move to increase FAR (Floor Area Ratio) for 4 and 5-star hotels from the existing 20% to 30% in both rural and urban areas, this might prove detrimental to Goa's ecology. According to the government this will curb illegal extensions and bring in more revenue, but the sad part is that the FAR enhancement has not been extended to lower category hotels which mostly employ local Goan youth. Tourism today in Goa is being sustained by the arrival of Indians from other states many of whom look for budget accommodation ; in this context 3 and 2-star hotels not getting the benefit of increased FAR is injustice. The FAR at Kadamba plateau, an ecologically fragile zone has also been increased from 300% to 400% for builders who have proper infrastructure in place. The TCP ministry needs to first look at penalizing developers who indulge in rampant hill cutting, landfilling, degrading water bodies and erecting structures in no-development zones ; they should have consulted with urban planners and master planning experts before going in for a revision of FAR limits.
