Team Herald
Panjim: A proposal from the The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department is seeking to convert nearly 2 lakh sq mts of land in pockets spread across Pernem and Bardez, a move that is being branded by conservationists and activists as the ‘cash-for-zones’ scam.
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Orginally no development zones and slopes comprising natural cover, paddy fields and orchards, the 194,700 sq mts in 15 land parcels has multiple large plots that have been earmarked for hotels and commercial development.
The TCP put up a public notice inviting suggestions for the proposal to convert the land parcels in Pernem and Bardez. In it’s 207th meeting on October 10 and 208th meeting on December 2, the TCP Board has approved the proposals for change of zones in the Regional Plan for Goa 2021, with respect to the plots mentioned in the public notice.
The notice has asked for suggestions, if any, to the said proposals as approved by the Goa Town and Country Planning Board to be forwarded to the Chief Town Planner, which will then be placed before the TCP Board for it’s consideration.
Jack Mascarenhas from Goyche Fudle Pilge Khatir said, “These land conversion proposals under Section 39A of the TCP Act are contrary to Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. They pose a significant threat to our non-development zones and green cover, endangering Goa’s natural environment. The conversion of orchard and natural cover areas into development zones is unacceptable.”
“These areas are crucial for maintaining the environmental health of our State,” he added.
Green activist Swapnesh Sherlekar who has been flagging the conversion of lands across Goa, while reacting sharply has said that Section 39A of TCP Act is nothing but “Cash-for-Zone scam”. “The government is operating a supermarket where rich and wealthy non-Goans do zone-shopping by paying brokerage on suitcase-to-suitcase basis,” he said.
“By granting change of zone to large amount of ecologically sensitive areas, more particularly paddy fields, natural cover and no development slopes, the message is clear that this government is out to do real estate business and the responsibility of protecting the environment and the interest of locals is on Goans themselves,” Sherlekar added.
Activist Peter D’souza from Sancoale said, “The Goa government should be stricter on conversion of NDZ lands as there are no more settlement zone lands available in Goa. We need development, but sustainable development, as the carrying capacity of Goa’s lands has reached its exhaustion point.”
