SURAJ NANDREKAR
suraj@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Struggling to defend the conversion and final acquisition of almost six lakh square meters of land, in Tuem and leading to families losing control over their land, the Chief Town Planer blurted to Herald that it was done under Section 16A of the Town and Country Planning Act. He will now have to answer to the people of Goa, how could this land have been acquired under this act, when the neither Regional Plan 2021 nor 2001 are in force.
Secondly, this acquisition of land for industrial purposes was not in conformity with either RP 2001 nor RP 2021. In both these Regional Plans the acquired lands have been marked as orchard land and no development land. In a unique situation the TCB board approved changes to the land use of a plan not in existence (2001) and not in operation (RP 2021), to forcibly show “conformity” with these Regional Plans. This entire process, appears to be clearly fraudulent.
As reported by Herald in its Sunday edition, in the TCP Board meeting in March this year, the committee has recommended changing of zones of 11 survey nos – 81/0, 82/0, 84/0, 85/0, 98/0, 99/0, 100/0, 101/0, 102/0, 103/0 & 104/0. The total land in these survey nos is 5,97,125 sq meters.
According to information, survey no 81/0 is an orchard/garbage management site, 82/0 is partly cultivated partly orchard, survey 84/0 is orchard, 85/0 is a No Development Slope (Eco-I zone) & orchard zone (Eco-II) zone) while 98/0 is orchard/partly cultivated and No Development Slope (Eco-I Zone).
Asked how can the zone be changed in RP 2021 which is in abeyance, Chief Town Planner of Goa S T Putturaju on Saturday replied, “It is basically a question of situation, where RP needs to be adopted for zonal changes for govt projects under 16,” he said.
(Read provisions of Section 16A in the box with this story)
Experts on the Regional Plan, including Architect Dean D’Cruz, member of the Task Force of RP 2021 told Herald that, “According to law the government here needs to be penalised. Since the RP 2001 has expired and RP 2021 is in abeyance this rule 16A of TCP Act cannot be implemented. The government is breaking its own rules and seems to care little for people’s sentiments,” he said.
Sabina Martins, a social activist, said, “The TCP has been misleading the people on the issue. The rule 16A applies only to Regional Plan in force and this statement it is like fooling the people. The TCP has been committing irregularities after irregularities despite being pulled up by the High Court in the case of Aldeia de Goa (housing project in Bambolim) but no action has been taken against them. The politicians and bureaucrats are hand in glove in the matter.”
