MARGAO: The Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai appears to be in favour of Transfer and Development Rights (TDR), which highlights multiple benefits, besides focussing on eco-sensitivity.
“The Transfer of Development Rights will empower the land-owner, bring transparency, remove middlemen, minister and MLAs, and save irregular conversion of non-development lands,” Vijai emphasised, obviously showcasing the natural, architectural and ecological aspects of Goa.
“Say for example I have a land which is settlement and another person has land which is non-convertible, like agricultural in Khazan areas. The property which is non-convertible will be assigned development rights may be double the value in units. What helps here is that the valuable eco-sensitive land will be saved from illegal conversions and subsequent development, while the owner would get money by trading the development rights to the person who has settlement land. The person with settlement land will trade the development rights and will be able to go vertical with his development, thus saving nature and also satisfying the future needs of habitable land, the minister explained in detail.
Vijai also quoted an example where a Portuguese house could be saved from being removed using this formula.
The TCP Minister also revealed that there were cases where land in forests have been converted and there are non-Goan agents, who are operating unscrupulously to get these lands converted for personal monetary gains.
“There is ghettoization of Goa happening because of this and I will take care of conversion agents operating in the state. These properties are being converted into concrete jungles and these agents were misleading people by telling people about Goa government policy to regularise irregular structures,” warned Vijai.
“This cannot continue and the people who are doing these illegal acts have to be stopped. If this continues, entire Goa will be converted into huts,” TCP Minister said. The Minister was also for case-to-case basis conversion of lands, which was an old practice that let everybody know what was happening to the land in Goa.
When asked when the change would take place, Vijai said emphasised that it would be done immediately by means of a cabinet decision.
“I will deliberate and influence the Chief Minister, because I feel people should voice their opinion and tell what they want, which land they want to convert and why,” he added.
