MARGAO: In a strong statement, the Goa Foundation (GF) has accused Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of hypocrisy regarding the government’s stance on hill-slope conversions following the Kerala landslide disaster.
“The Goa government’s statements in connection with the Kerala landslide disaster are little more than hypocrisy,” said GF Director Claude Alvares in a statement issued to the media on Friday.
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“Analysis of the 17(2) applications submitted to the Goa Assembly on 18.7.2024 (LAQ 055) shows that a total number of 179 applications have been filed for conversion of hill slopes to settlement. Of these, 45 applications have already been allowed for a total of 7,95,396 (nearly 8 lakh) sqmts,” said the Foundation.
“During the last year alone, a large number of plots falling on hill slopes (No Development Slopes) in Goa have been cleared for settlement by the TCP headed by Vishwajit Rane and Chief Town Planner Rajesh Naik under Section 17(2) of the TCP Act, 1974. More are applied for under the newly amended Section 39A,” said Alvares.
“How demarcation of a hill slope – which is based on Survey of India topo sheets – can be considered an ‘error’ is simply beyond the imagination of the public? Since the area of these conversions is not provided in the LAQ, we are not able to give right now the total area sought to be converted to settlement under section 17(2),” GF said.
“Further, more conversions are underway now under Section 39A, if one goes by the information provided in the Goa Assembly. Rane’s Town Planning Department has already received a total of 40 proposals for conversion of plots on hill slopes to settlement. Since the area is provided in the applications, we are able to estimate that this amounts to a total of 3,05,068 sqmts (more than 3 lakh) on hill slopes converted to development,” said Alvares.
“Merely issuing statements in the context of the Wayanad landslide disaster that the Goa government will not allow conversion of hill slopes, and that Collectors will ensure this does not happen in future, amounts to hypocrisy of the highest kind,” Alvares added.
“It is time to call a halt to any further so-called ‘corrections’ of no-development slopes into settlement,” he concluded.
