Conversion okayed for 4.3k sqm of Ponda land | Goa News
Panaji: The town and country planning (TCP) department has approved the conversion of at least 4,300sqm land to settlement zone in Ponda taluka. This includes land identified as orchard, natural cover, and no development slope.
Using the Goa Town and Country Planning Act’s Section 39A, which has been described as a backdoor entry for the conversion of ecologically fragile lands, 15 land parcels have received the department’s approval for a change of zone.Of the 15 applications, two are for plots in Kundaim, while the remaining are for Usgao.
Govt has given 30 days for interested parties to voice their concerns or objections.
While the TCP department has concealed the size of each of the plots that are being converted, sources said that many of the plots are demarcated as orchard and natural cover in the Regional Plan for Goa 2021, where construction could not take place. With the land now set to be identified as a settlement area, construction activity will get the green light.
“After scrutiny, the TCP department had placed the proposals along with the scrutiny reports before the TCP board for its recommendation and approval on the matter. The board, at its meetings held on June 24 and later on July 10, approved the proposals,” said chief town planner (planning) Rajesh Naik in a notification.
The conversion of no development slopes and orchards in Ponda comes even as the State Disaster Management Authority has directed talathis and collectors to keep a close watch on hill cutting and development on eco-sensitive lands and no development slopes.
According to department officials, 234 land conversion applications have been received under Section 39A since it was introduced as an amendment to the Goa Town and Country Planning Act in Feb. The newly introduced Section 39(A) allows the chief town planner to alter the regional plan or outline development plan based on individual applications subject to public objections over a 30-day period.
