PANJIM, DEC 6
In what will raise the ire of village groups and other social organisations, Chief Town Planner Morad Ahmed reportedly clarified to a local TV news channel on Monday that the criteria of eco-sensitive zones applied only to Pernem and Canacona, plans of which are notified.
Admitting that 80 per cent of land mass of the State was earmarked as eco-sensitive zone (Eco-I and Eco-II), Ahmed expressed helplessness and stated the eco criteria will not apply to the rest of the 11 talukas till their surface utilisation plans were notified.
The chief town planner was on record to state for the remaining nine talukas the RP 2001 will be in force till the plans for these areas were notified. As a result, any person can go ahead with land conversions and even construction before the taluka plans are notified, he stated further.
However, Ahmed, went on to state the VP-1 and VP-2 status declared recently would apply to the whole of the State as the villages were listed in the report of Regional Plan.
He said Eco-I and Eco-II zones were neither listed nor mapped as per survey numbers in the general report. “This means constructions could be allowed by the Town and Country Planning Department in the areas marked as eco-sensitive zones,” he said and added, “But as per VP-I and VP-II floor area ratios will be restricted to 80 and 60 respectively.”
The Pilerne Citizens Forum and Goa Bachao Abhiyan along with other village groups had taken pot-shots at some of the new provisions in the RPs for Pernem and Canacona. The GBA has been firm on the notification for eco-sensitive zones and VP-3 status (50 FAR) for villages. If what the chief town planner has said is true then the government will have to brace up for further agitations.
