PANAJI: Touching upon the constant clashes between environmentalists and developers, town and country planning minister
Vijai Sardesai on Friday promised to bring in new norms and incentives to encourage builders and real estate developers to adopt
environment-friendly measures.
Strongly asserting that Goa should not ape Haryana or Punjab in construction activity, Sardesai said that the local government had to be "Goa-centric" and not "India-centric". The minister was speaking at the
Goa Environment Conclave organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and
Indian Green Building Council.
"My commitment as far as incentivizing green buildings is certainly there, but how to get it done is the job of the chief town planner. We can work on that and within a week we can have it. I don't think we need an amendment to the Act; we can change the regulations," Sardesai said.
He also said that preservation of local architecture and heritage was part of "Goa's DNA" and that the colonial Portuguese rulers had helped ingrain this aspect among the people. "It is because of the Portuguese that we have preserved our culture. I disagree even with my coalition partners, but I believe the Portuguese left some good things, one of which is the
Indo-Portuguese architecture. This is how Goa is different from other parts of India," Sardesai said.
While promising to provide incentives to builders who adopt environment-friendly measures, Sardesai said that there was a need to look beyond additional FAR as an incentive.
