PANJIM: Will the people’s power reign supreme and force the government to scrap the proposed 17 amendments to the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations remains to be seen, as a large number of individuals and groups are expected to file their suggestions and objections before the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department on Friday, June 2.
Among these 17 amendments, 10 are from the earlier draft of the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, which TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane scrapped in September last year following mounting public pressure against it.
In the earlier draft amendments, the TCP department had proposed setting up golf courses, film cities and farmhouses across the State.
After notifying all the 17 amendments on April 27, 2023, the government issued a Corrigendum dated May 4, 2023, permitting farmhouses in 1,000 square metres of land instead of the existing 500 square metres of land. Due to this, the last date to file suggestions and objections has been extended to June 5, 2023, but the activists are in no mood to take any chances and would file their objections on Friday, June 2.
The activists and NGOs are opposed to the proposed amendments and most of them have already filed their objections before the TCP department. They have alleged that the proposed amendments ate to protect the rich and powerful lobby.
In September last year, there were protests across the State with gram sabha passing resolutions to scrap the amendments. Following this within three weeks, TCP Minister Rane announced the scrapping of the draft amendments.
The TCP Minister had also announced that he would appoint urban planner Prof Vinayak Bharne and others as members of the expert committee to study these amendments and public views. But the government did not seek the help of California-based Prof Bharne and within seven months again notified 17 amendments in April this year throwing transparency to the winds.
Rane had stated that the expert committee will interact with the political parties, NGOs, activists and other stakeholders to get their perspective before redrawing the amendments.
Referring to the draft amendments, former chairman Institute of Architects Tulio D’Souza said that the amendments appear to be to protect the rich and powerful people and hoped that the illegal bungalow at Old Goa heritage site is not regularised under these amendments even as it is subjudice.
Amendment of Regulation 22.4 is for regularising unauthorised structures in an area of more than 500 sq mt of land, which people in the know of the issue, demanded to know whether it is a window for people to regularise their illegal constructions.
D’Souza said that 6A.4 amendment allows the construction of some houses in paddy fields. It is an ambiguous provision where the elevation of the paddy fields is to be verified on a simple inspection and to allow such a construction on a simple inspection. There is no scientific basis to establish the elevation, nor any available data to rely upon, he pointed out.
He wondered whether paddy fields will slowly get filled up as currently being done rampantly to qualify for such a construction. Further 6A.3.1 amendment allowing additional uses in A1 and A2 zones is devoid of any logic as generalised terms like sports facilities and food processing industries are being used.
