PANJIM: Terming it an Easter gift to Goans, the State government has decided to implement, on its merits, the provisions of the Regional Plan 2021, which were kept in abeyance since June 4, 2012.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said that development in land zoned under settlement zones, commercial zones, industrial zones or institutional zones as per the Regional Plan for Goa 2021 will be permitted as per its merit for uses permitted in the respective zones by following a transparent process.
“The permission for
development will be considered only if it meets our parameters like the report of settlement character of land and surroundings, access conditions, nature of land as to whether sloping/low lying or having forest trees etc,” Sardesai said.
He added, “Permissibility will be given as per the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations.”
The minister further maintained that the order for the release of land will be further subject to the opinion from the Forest and Agriculture Departments in case the land area is 5000 square metres.
He further said that permission would not be granted if the settlement zone falls in eco-sensitive areas. “Areas such as low-lying field, water body, khazan land, flood prone area, land having slopes more than 25 percent, forest land including private forest land falling in buffer zone of Wild Life Sanctuaries (without the prior permission of forest department) and no development zone as per CRZ notification (without prior permission of GCZMA) even if they fall in settlement or developable zone shall not be permitted,” he said.
Sardesai further said that the government has been toying with the idea of rectification of the Regional Plan for Goa 2021 for quite some time.
“Permissions were being granted only for lands falling under settlement or developable zones as per both the Regional Plans, which resulted in hardships to members of the public as contradictions of zonings in both plans have rendered problems for many plots even for personal use,” he said.
Sardesai said this had led to confusion, anarchy, illegal development and fragmentation of orchard lands and other agricultural lands. “This has prompted the government to amend Section 49 (6) of the Act to prevent sale of land or registration of unauthorised plots,” he said.
He also went on to say that the move of the government to operationalise Regional Plan 2021 will help a large number of individuals who have been anxiously waiting for construction of shelter for personal use.
On the issue of land which has been classified under settlement which was omitted from settlement zone in the new Regional Plan 2021, the minister in his reply enthused confidence that this matter will be addressed shortly by amending the TCP Act to enable rectification of minor changes in Regional Plan in the next session of the Assembly.
