PANJIM: Talukas in South Goa have reported a larger number of illegal conversions of orchard land for development, data with the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department reveals.
TCP, through a month-long special drive across the State, has identified 113 cases amounting to 20 lakh sq mtrs of orchard land as having been illegally converted.The South district consisting of the talukas like Canacona, Quepem, Sanguem, Ponda and Dharbandora have 73 cases, with Quepem, Sanguem and Dharbandora having 60 cases. Ponda has recorded nine, while Canacona has six cases. The north district has 40 cases registered in Bicholim (22), Sattari (12) and Pernem (6).The TCP board, during its recent meeting, decided to amend the existing Town and Country Planning Act so as to fix criminal liability for people involved in illegal conversions and development of orchard land.
At the same time, the Board decided to give relief to those who have legally converted the land and utilised it for residential purposes by granting an amnesty period till March 31, 2018, for them to legalise their conversions.
