Team Herald
PORVORIM: With the process to draft a new Regional Plan 2030 (RP30) yet to start, the State government is contemplating considering applications that are in public interest, for zonal changes, on a case-to-case basis.
Transferable development rights (TDRs), which is going to be the backbone of RP 2030, is likely to be double in case of usage of land under forest, khazan, CRZ (with regulations), steep slope, eco-sensitive zones, wildlife and open spaces.
Spelling out the ideas, Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vijai Sardesai on Monday said RP 2030 will be drafted with TDR as its backbone, which aims to protect eco-sensitive zones and create exchange of developmental rights.
“Till we start the process to draft the plan, we are planning to allow TCP Board to consider all applications which are in public interest and important, on case-to-case basis for zonal changes,” he said, highlighting two such cases.
Sardesai gave the example of a religious institution that wants to construct a home for the aged. “In 2001, the proposed site was marked as settlement but in 2021 plan, the area is marked as agriculture. The institute wants to build old age home which is in public interest,” he said.
“Don Bosco College of Engineering has 700 acres of land they want 2000 sq mtrs to build an administrative block. But zone issue is a problem,” the Minister stated.
Sardesai said henceforth construction can happen only with the land property title and TDR. “Every property in Goa will have a development right assigned to it. We have to demarcate it like salt pan, khazan land, hill slopes, etc. It is not an overnight job,” he said.
“TDR will be assigned to all land. In case of salt pan, khazan land, hill slope, agriculture, forest, I intend to give double the development right,” he said.
The Minister claims that with TDR, there would be less protests and it would be easy for the government to finalise the RP-2030.
