SURAJ NANDREKAR
suraj@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The entire state is up in the arms over the inclusion of villages in the Planning and Development Authority (PDA) and the revival of Regional Plan 2021, which, they say will pave way for illegalities by land sharks.
While there is no doubt about the builder-politician nexus in illegal conversion of land, Herald has unearthed another astounding fact.
Herald investigation has revealed that it’s not the land mafia, which is getting their work done illegally, but the State government has turned out to be the biggest enemy of Goa’s agricultural and orchard land.
Investigations reveal that in the last five years, the State departments have converted almost 45 lakh sq metres of the Goa’s agricultural and orchard land – Forty-four lakh, ninety-five thousand, nine hundred and thirty to be precise. Isn’t this shocking?
Interestingly, in last five years, the government has allowed change of zone from agriculture and orchard to settlement for many projects including those of the Tourism Department for creating tourism infrastructure such as a five-star hotel in Anjuna, etc.
Department of Industries is the biggest converter of land from orchard/ agriculture with 15,73,025 sq mts being converted since 2013.
Most of these land conversions have been done to set up or expand industrial estates at Shiroda, Sirsaim and Tuem.
The Information and Technology Department ranks second by converting 10,55,953 sq metres for the Electronic City at Tuem and IT Park at Chimbel.
Surprisingly, Goa Police too finds itself is in the list by converting 7,37,199 sq metres for building of IRB campuses at Pernem, Poinguinim and Quelossim. Tourism Department has converted 4,40,795 sq metres for development of tourism infrastructure at Mayem, Quelossim, Bandora, Penha-de-Franca, Anjuna, Priol and Tuem.
The Tourism Department’s proposals are for “change in land use zone enabling world-class tourism infrastructure in Goa”.
The panchayat department has also converted 1,53,690 sq metres for building panchayat ghars.
The Public Works Department, which actually carries out a lot of land acquisition and major projects of roads and bridges, has converted or got zonal changes for 1,05,918 sq mts at Calangute, Ela, Chimbel, Mapusa and Khandola for various projects such as sewage treatment plants, rehabilitation of project-affected people, roads, parking and water supply.
Interestingly, South Goa Collector has got zone change for 1,00,000 sq metres for the 20-point programme, which has long been discontinued.
What is pertinent to note here is that the Government has discontinued the process of change of zones since 2005, except government proposals under Section 16A of the TCP Act 1974.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai, who is already facing flak on PDAs, justified the conversion of land by government saying these are in public interest.
“Government projects are in public interest and for that, we have to go for conversion of land wherever required,” Sardesai said.
He said the government has no option rather than to go for conversion of agricultural land.
“We have no option. Conversion becomes a compulsion due to pressure on settlements. You don’t need projects such as a bus stand, hospitals, grounds, panchayat house, etc? These are all public projects and we have to act as per public and state demands,” he said.
