TEAM HEALD
MARGAO/PANJIM: The government, through a Town and Country Department circular, further delayed the implementation of an earlier circular till November 1, which had asked for strict implementation of the provision of the Goa Land Revenue Code, which made conversion sanad necessary before undertaking construction on agricultural land.
The earlier circular of July 8, 2013 had deferred the implementation of the no conversion, no construction circular till October 31, but the latest circular postponing the implementation till November 1, has kicked up a row since the latter has not been adequately publicised.
In a September 18 circular, Chief Town Planner S T Puttaraju said that the July 8 circular will now come into effect only from November 1. The earlier circular dated July 8 had mandated that all the technical permissions will be given only after obtaining a conversion sanad for constructing on orchard land.
The July 8 TCP circular stated that District offices/ taluka level offices and planning and development authorities should not issue technical clearances or development clearances for any construction/ development without a valid conversion sanad and that it shall be strictly implemented.
Though the latest circular was issued on September 18, the PDA has not yet taken the decision whether to accept developmental files with conversion sanad for consideration. The SGPDA is meeting Tuesday to deliberate on the issue since hardly 23 days are left for the people to apply for developmental permissions without conversion.
Eyebrows have been raised over Puttaraju’s September 18 circular in many quarters, including South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), with one of its members, MLA Vijai Sardesai questioning whether the implementation of the circular has been deferred keeping in mind the interest of certain builders.
“When the government came out with the first circular in July, no reason was cited by the CTP why it was insisting on conversions first and construction later. Now, the new circular which speaks of deferring implementation of the earlier circular from November 1 also does not cite any reason. This only shows that the circular is issued to help the builders,” Sardesai charged.
Sardesai claimed that absence of adequate publicity to the decision to postpone the implementation of the no conversion, no construction circular indeed raised eyebrows.
The July 8 circular said that the need was felt since some constructions were completed without the conversion sanad which is mandatory under the Goa, Daman and Diu Land Revenue Code. Under Section 30 of the Land Revenue Code, no land used for agriculture shall be used for any non agriculture purpose without obtaining conversion of use of land from one purpose to another.
While the TCP and panchayats have been imposing this condition, before giving technical permissions, the earlier circular sought that it be implemented ‘strictly’.
“The government has decided to defer the implementation of the circular… till 31st October 2013. The circular… shall come into force w.e.f. 01/11/2013,” the latest circular said.
Herald attempted to get in touch with CTP S T Puttaraju, seeking the reasoning behind the delay in implementing a circular which only asks for implementation of the Goa LRC, but he was not available for comment.
Though the latest circular was issued on September 18, the PDA has not yet taken the decision whether to accept developmental files with conversion sanad for consideration. The SGPDA is meeting Tuesday to deliberate on the issue since hardly 23 days are left for the people to apply for developmental permissions without conversion
