PANJIM: The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department has now started furnishing information sought under Right To Information (RTI) Act after it was brought to the notice of the High Court of Bombay at Goa that the department was withholding the information especially pertaining to zone changes under Section 17 (2) of the TCP Act.
Last week, while hearing two public interest litigation (PIL) writ petitions challenging Section 17 (2) of TCP Act allowing changes from orchard, natural cover and other zones to settlement on grounds of errors in Regional Plan 2021, it was brought to the notice of the Court that the TCP Department was withholding information sought under RTI Act.
Following this, the Court had enquired with the Maharashtra Advocate General Birendra Saraf, representing the TCP Department had assured the Court that would enquire with the department and instruct them to furnish the information under RTI Act.
Pravinsingh Shedgaonkar from Betim, who had sought information regarding conversions of privately owned plots in the Regional Plan, has now been asked by the TCP department to collect the information next week. Earlier, the applicant was not supplied the information within the prescribed time of 30 days.
In May this year, Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane had issued a note instructing the TCP department to send all RTI related information filed in the department to the government for approval and subsequently to release the RTI related information to the applicants.
The reasons cited in the note was in view of the technicalities the files be sent to the government first.
In another note issued in August 16, 2023, Rane directed the Chief Town Planner (CTP) to furnish all the files/applications considered under section 17 (2) of TCP Act, to the office of the Minister for Urban Development, once they are notified under Section 17 (2) of TCP Act.
This note was issued following a PIL writ petition filed by the NGO Goa Foundation and two others challenging the new section in TCP Act.