TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Notwithstanding political pressure, the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA), has decided to rectify wrongly-marked zones in the Outline Development Plans (ODPs) of Taleigao and Mapusa, thereby converting zones like agriculture and settlement to their original use.
The department of Town and Country Planning (TCP), through a notification, has directed NGPDA to keep the ODPs of Taleigao and Mapusa open for public suggestions and objections. The decision was taken after the government felt that it was necessary to undertake alterations/additions to the ODPs.
These ODPs were drafted in 2006 and are pending review. The directions are issued under Section 132 of the TCP Act 1974.
Speaking to media persons, NGPDA chairman Michael Lobo said that hundreds of complaints are pending before NGPDA, wherein it has been pointed out that several agricultural fields are wrongly marked as settlement zones, while in many cases settlement zones are marked as orchard land.
“This has resulted into conversions of agricultural fields. Though construction has not taken place on these plots, the fields are being converted as settlement,” Lobo said.
“We will have to rectify all this, we will revert the agricultural land to its original identity,” he added.
Lobo said that wrong marking has restricted construction and development works on settlement zones, which in many places are marked as orchard land.
“NGPDA will propose to rectify all the illegalities reported as a result of wrong zonal marking on the ODPs,” the Calangute MLA said.
The ODPs were notified under sub-section (1) of Section 37 of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974.
