Team Herald
PANJIM: With the matter being sub judice, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board on Monday resolved not to take any decision with regards to close to 1,500 applications, which were granted either provisional or final approvals for zone change under the controversial Section 16B of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act. Around 5,000 applications, which failed to get approvals, would be scrapped.
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Nearly 1,222 provisional approvals and 252 final approvals were granted for zone change under Section 16B since its introduction in 2018. Controversy erupted over the amendment; accordingly it was challenged before the Bombay High Court at Goa by NGOs Goa Foundation and Goa Bachao Abhiyan. The order in the matter is currently reserved by the Court.
Addressing media persons, TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane said there is tremendous ambiguity since the matter is sub judice. He said 1,222 provisional approvals and 253 final approvals that were granted will remain.
“We have to wait for the court outcome. We will wait till then,” Rane said adding that in case of final approvals, notifications were not issued.
He said that 5,000-odd applications, where no approvals were granted for zone change, would be discarded.
Rane said the government is ready to initiate fresh process under Section 16B if Court permits.
Former Minister Vijai Sardesai in 2018 had introduced amendment to the TCP Act to insert Section 16B for zonal changes. The permissions under the new sections were continued by his successor Chandrakant Kavlekar.
Farm house Policy: Meanwhile, Rane decided to implement the Farm house Policy — introduced way back in 1987-88 — modified with a rider that all farmhouses need to be certified as ‘green buildings’ by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
Only local eco-labelled products and materials can be used in the construction of green buildings.
In 2013, the TCP had halted construction licences for farmhouses after the department came across an increase in the number of illegal farmhouses.
Rane said as per the farmhouse regulations presently in force, the maximum area permissible for a farm house, irrespective of the area of the plot, is 500 sq mts, the maximum permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is 5, and the maximum coverage of built-up area is 5 per cent.
The minister said there was growing demand to revise farm house guidelines so as to permit additional FAR and coverage. As a result, the regulations must be amended to promote sustainable and environment-friendly construction, he said.
“The present guidelines suggest that the design of the house shall be in harmony with the surroundings and shall compulsorily have a sloping roof,” he said.
Rane said the revised regulations will have specific focus on sustainable design, water conservation, energy efficiency and optimum utilisation of locally procured materials.
The permissions for farmhouses will be granted, provided the project only uses eco-labelled products and material, procures building materials from the local market, reuses waste generated from construction, and installs a waste treatment system for treating organic waste.
Rane said the green certification from Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) would be mandatory, and that the department will tie-up with the Council to ensure it.
