MARGAO: The amendments proposed to the Town and Country Planning Act are actually aimed at keeping Goa green, the Goa Forward Party said and urged Goans not to fall prey to the propaganda of some elements, who want to oppose anything and everything without even studying the issue.
Briefing media persons, vice president Dilip Prabhudessai and general secretary Prashant Naik said they were amazed with the reaction to TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai’s suggestion that the TCP Act needs to be amended.
“Going by the reaction, it appears that there are some people and some organisations in Goa that want to oppose anything and everything without even studying the matter,” said Prashant while Dilip explained the proposed amendments.
He said only three new concepts are sought to be introduced in Section 2 of the Act that deals with “definitions”.
“Some of these definitions are in use in the West and even in some States in India,” he said and added that there was no reason to oppose them even before they are placed in public domain.
He said the first concept was to enable land owner to give part of his land for public project in lieu of which the government would give him extra FAR on the remaining land on which he can build something and be compensated for the land given to the government.
He said the second concept is “transfer of development right” which is used in USA and will give the owner additional FAR on any land sought to be developed to compensate for the land that he has given the government for public purpose.
The third concept, he said, is “TDR for posterity” where the owner of land that cannot be developed like forest land or fields, can sell his development rights to any person developing land elsewhere and while the builder will be given extra FAR, the land owner will not be able to build anything on that land and continue to use it for the purpose meant.
“This is actually required if we want to keep Goa green and avoid buildings coming up all over as the land owner will not be selling his land where he will continue to cultivate paddy if it is a field,” he said while clarifying that the owner will not be selling the land and will never be able to develop it in future.
“This is a great way of incentivising agricultural land and people should welcome it,” said Dilip.
When asked whether Goa needed such development especially when Goans cannot afford to purchase the apartments, Prashant pointed out that people from Sanguem and Canacona have bought flats in urban areas and it is only outsiders who purchase apartments in the coastal belt.
