PANAJI: Chairman of North Goa Planning and Development Authority Michael Lobo on Monday said that around 8 lakh square metre of land is available for various development works. The land has been marked on the new outline development plan draft of Candolim and Calangute.
“We have around 8 lakh square metre land that is available for development… most of this land that has been marked on new ODP draft was either agricultural land or orchard land. We can’t acquire people’s land as they will object, so we have requested the Communidade of Candolim and Calangute to be part of this development,” said Lobo while addressing a press conference in Panaji.
He also informed that a major road (25-metre wide) has been marked on the ODP. He, however, admitted that some part of the proposed road passes through mangroves.
Lobo assured that all natural resources, including the mangroves, will be ‘protected’ by the government.
The NGPDA chairman further said that in a bid to promote these areas as tourism hotspots, the NGPDA intends to offer 250-300 homestays with extra floor area ratio.
Lobo said that all those houses, guesthouses, hotels, and shops will be regularised, adding that there was a need to build hotels and restaurants to cater to the increasing flow of tourists in the North Goa coastal belt.
He informed that 54 ‘illegal’ structures that have come up in the paddy field at Calangute will be removed by the NGPDA in next 15 days.
He further stated that areas have also been marked in the new ODP draft for the proposed children’s parks at Calangute as well as in Candolim, animal shelter home, an alcoholic and drug rehabilitation centre, three football grounds and water harvesting area.
The NGPDA chief also said that a community hall has been proposed on an area of 50,000 square metre land and a multi-level car parking on an area of 7,500 square metre land.
Land has been marked for creation of transport zone at Calangute, where all the outstation vehicles will be stationed and cab service will be provided to tourists which will drop them to the beach areas, he said.
A market complex has also been proposed which will house government offices under one roof. The other facilities include a full-fledged health centre, a vocational training institute, and an electricity sub-station.