Only RP-2021, no other plan, is in force in Goa, says Vijai

NT NETWORK

 

PANAJI

Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday maintained that the Regional Plan-2021 is the  only land-use operationalised plan, and that no other plan is in force for the state.

Replying on demands of grants for the TCP department in the state assembly, Sardesai clarified that the government has brought about the ‘transfer of development rights’  policy to maintain the ethos and character of Goa.

To give justice to common people, the government has brought in the amendments to the TCP Act which will consider proposals of change in zone of small plots on case-to-case basis, he said.

He disclosed that the government will form an urban arts commission to preserve heritage areas by roping in  ‘heritage skips street’ concept, and said the concept of grading heritage building as suggested by the Charles Correa Foundation for the state capital   will be extended to Margao and other heritage villages.

“There has been  a demand for post-occupancy audit report, for which the government will empower the town and country planning department to check whether the plan is followed or not for five years…, ” he added.

Requests had been made to the state-level committee, which was  constituted for preparing the Regional Plan-2021, for the inclusion of   37,959 hectare   areas under settlement zone – 18,845 hectare areas had been proposed by various village panchayats and 19,114 hectare areas had been proposed by  individuals, Sardesai revealed, adding that the committee brought 11,016 hectares of areas under new settlement zone in the plan, which had been shown  7,630 hectare areas as settlement in the Regional Plan-2001.

Admitting that there have been some discrepancies in the Regional Plan-2021, Sardesai assured that the government will rectify the  discrepancies on case-to-case basis by adopting a ‘rationalisation policy’.

“To curb illegal conversion of orchard land, the government has introduced provisions in the act, raising the fine from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and one-year jail term. Besides,   of the 99 cases, we have filed FIRs in 75 cases of

illegal conversion of orchard land,” he mentioned.

On the controversial PDA jurisdictions, he said the law department will get the file  on notifying the new jurisdiction of the Greater Panaji Planning and Development Authority after excluding villages from St Cruz and St Andre constituencies.

“At the town and country planning board meeting to  be held on August 16, some major decisions will be taken on  the procedure for drafting outline development plan and other issues,” the minister disclosed.

Stressing on the need to build investor confidence  in Goa’s construction sector, the minister informed that the TCP department had collected Rs 72 crore in 2016-17, Rs 39 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 15 crore in 2018-19 up to now under the infrastructure tax.

The TCP department has decided to come out with online module  to bring  transparency in issuing licences for constructions.

Opining that the state highway-8  should not pass through Chandor,  Sardesai said, “We will de-notify the present alignment of SH-8. But there is a need to suggest alternate alignment for SH-8.”