Team Herald
PANJIM: The State unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has appealed to 18 VIPs, including MLAs and their families, to withdraw their applications and follow Union Minister Shripad Naik’s decision to surrender the approval granted to his property to change zone to settlement, if any kind of illegalities are found and brought to his notice.
Stating that wisdom dawned on Naik, AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas on Friday appealed to as many as 18 VIPs, including few sitting MLAs, to follow Naik and withdraw their applications and approvals granted to them under Section 17 (2) and 39 A of Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.
“These VIPs are beneficiaries of change of land zone and it is a matter of concern that legislators are involved in land zone change,” he said.
Viegas said that TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane and his wife Deviya, who is the Poriem MLA, who own a company named Karapur Estate Pvt Ltd, applied for change of zone at three locations at Karapur and Sarvan villages for total land admeasuring 11,580 sq mts.
At Seraulim in Benaulim constituency, Wolfango Fernandes applied for change of zone for 17,475 sq mts of land. Veigas said though Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai was not involved, the name of his wife Usha Sardesai, is linked to the property and hoped that the Fatorda MLA will tell Fernandes to withdraw his application.
The AAP leader further stated that the company belonging to Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira applied for change of zone for area admeasuring 1,500 sq mts at Colva and 2,900 sq mts at Nuvem. Similarly, former Minister Avertano Furtado applied for zone change for 8,650 sq mts of land and Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar applied for change of zone for area admeasuring 8,700 sq mt and 2,600 sq mt, both at Guirim in Bardez taluka. Priya Shet, wife of Mayem MLA Premendra Shet, too applied for zone changes at two locations for areas admeasuring 7,854 sq mt and 28,500 sq mt.
Also, South India movie star Ramcharan Tej applied for change of land in Morjim in Pernem taluka. Media house owner Kiran Thakur and his staff Vijay Patil too applied for zone changes for an area admeasuring 17,150 sq mt and 2,644 sq mts at Old Goa, respectively; and Yogesh Jadhav, who also owns a vernacular newspaper applied for zone change for 22,512 sq mt land at Pilerne.
“This is a chance for them. If MP can consider you too can do it. I am only expressing my open request to all to withdraw their applications filed under 17 (2) and 39 A of TCP Act and Goans at large will bless you. Follow the footsteps of Union Minister of State Shripad Naik,” he said.
All these zone changes into settlement were allowed on grounds of errors in the Regional Plan. NGO Goa Foundation and others have challenged these arbitrary zoning changes even in eco-sensitive zones to favour private individual and interests.
They have demanded that the government should prepare a new Regional Plan, which will make fresh allocations of space and rectify the errors, if any, that are seen in the present Plan.
Will surrender approval for change of zone if illegalities found: Shripad Naik
Team Herald
PANJIM: Union Minister Shripad Naik on Friday said he has decided to withdraw his application and surrender the approval granted to him for his property for change of zone to settlement, if any kind of illegalities are found and brought to his notice.
“I am ready to withdraw my application even if provision under 17(2) of TCP Act, which was passed by the State government is found illegal or if any discrepancy is found in the procedure. It is up to the State government to verify whether the provision of 17(2) of TCP Act is in the state’s interest or not,” he said in a statement.
The North Goa MP said he has followed all the laws laid down by the State government and paid all the fees as levied upon him to get the approvals.
He claimed that though many applications of many applicants were approved, only names of selected persons have appeared in the news report which appears to be a conspiracy to malign his image to secure the political agenda of some unknown power operating in the State.
“My application was submitted in July 2023 and approval was granted in February 2024 for an area measuring 12,560 sqmt.
The application was forwarded to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department as per the normal procedure prescribed in the rules and it was approved through routine process,” Naik said.
According to him, the entire procedure took eight months, which was clearly indicative of a transparent process followed, and he hadn't taken “any undue advantage” of his position.