PANJIM: The department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) has warned of penal action against those land owners or developers who have developed their land into non-agricultural plots in non-conforming land use zones or have purchased such plots, if they fail to regularize these plots by applying for necessary change in zone under Section 16B of the TCP Act by January 26.
Chief Town Planner (CTP) Rajesh Naik in a public notice issued on Saturday has indicated that the department has already conducted survey and have identified tentative list of illegal, unauthorized developments of land across Goa.
The department was earlier on record to saying that nearly 40 lakh sq mtrs of orchard and agriculture land has been converted illegally. The department has so far received over 600 applications for change in zone. Naik has said that government has enacted a provision in the TCP Act, namely Section 16B to enable individuals to apply for change of zone in Regional Plan in respect of their property.
“The major objective of the government while amending the Act was to give relief to the innocent purchasers of land in non-settlement areas and to accommodate unauthorised developments within the ambit of planning and regularize such developments wherever feasible,” he said.
Government intends to consider such cases for change in zone, strictly on its merit by following the provisions envisaged in the said section, he added.
“Hence, we appeal to all those land owners cum developers who have developed their land into non-agricultural plots in non-conforming land use zones and also purchasers of such plots to apply for change of zone under Section 16B of the Act, latest by January 2019 for appropriate decision,” Naik said.
“Failing to do so, the owner shall attract penal action under relevant provisions of the Act,” he stated.
The crucial meeting of TCP board under Minister Vijai Sardesai is scheduled on January 14, wherein all the applications received for zone change would be discussed.
