Panaji, May 2 (PTI) Days after initiating steps to freeze land in eco-sensitive zones, including riverbanks, the Goa government has decided to grant permission for construction in developable areas on a “need-based” basis only.
Talking to reporters in Panaji on Saturday, Goa’s Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane said the state has limited developable land due to its ecological sensitivity.
“We will not allow construction or development in no-development zones marked by the TCP department and the forest department,” he said.
Permissions for future development would be granted strictly based on needs, Rane said.
“After evaluation of the requirement, only need-based approvals will be granted. We will not allow large parcels of land to be converted (for development),” the minister said.
According to him, only seven lakh square metres of land has been approved as development zones during his tenure despite proposals that seek conversion of crores of square metres of land.
“The Regional Plan 2021 had rezoned around 9.5 crore square metres as development zones. We are here to rectify the mistakes made in that plan,” Rane said.
The minister also said his department will file FIRs against officials who classified private forest land as settlement zones in Pernem taluka.
No construction permissions will be granted within 100 metres from the edge of hill slopes, he said.
Last week, the forest department declared 6.27 crore square metres of land along the Mandovi and Zuari rivers as “ecologically sensitive”. PTI RPS NP
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