Conversions of a different kind had the BJP scrambling to defend itself, but unsuccessfully. Environment and Forest Minister Alina Saldanha found herself at the receiving end of the Opposition’s criticism over the conversion of several lakh sq mts of forest land in Loliem village, for eco-tourism purposes proposed by a Delhi agency.
Independent Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai alleged that “The BJP government allowed conversion of large tracts of agricultural, forest and orchard lands in Goa while the Regional Plan was frozen. The case from Canacona involved one Ardent Infrastructure and Developers Pvt Ltd, which had purchased the land in 2006. Though this is a part of eco-tourism zone as marked in the RP 2021, it falls in orchard zone as per RP 2001.” He alleged that the deputy town planner had rejected the proposal in 2011 but the collector had cleared it in 2013.
Saldanha was forced to concede that attempts are being made to convert green patches into settlement zones in the State.
Sardesai demanded revoking of the NOC issued as it was a fraud circumventing the Regional Plan and hinted that this was done for pecuniary reasons. The Fatorda legislator alleged the party had never asked for Eco-Tourism sanad but for a Commercial sanad. “For this ‘favour’ done to the Delhi-based developers, Rs 2 crore has been ‘extracted’ officially,” he said.
