PANAJI:
Mandrem MGP MLA Jit Arolkar on Friday informed that all provisional approvals granted for zone change under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act in Pernem taluka have been kept on hold following concerns raised by him.
Speaking to mediapersons, Arolkar said that Vishwajit Rane, the State TCP Minister, has assured that all provisional approvals granted in Pernem have been temporarily put on hold.
“I have moved a private member’s Bill pertaining to zone change in the House. I will now raise all issues related to the matter in the Assembly,” Arolkar said, adding that the legislature is the appropriate forum to raise such concerns and seek assurances from the government.
Last month, the MLA had submitted a representation to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant alleging that nearly 60 lakh sq mtrs of land covering 238 properties in Pernem taluka had been converted under the provisions of Section 39A. He had claimed that several properties belonging to individuals from outside the State ” including Delhi, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh ” were converted at an alarming pace based merely on applications submitted by landowners.
Arolkar had also alleged that no-development zones, eco-sensitive areas, private forests and agricultural lands were among those converted under the guise of correcting “inadvertent errors” in the Regional Plan 2021.
However, Rane had earlier refuted the claims, stating that official records of the TCP department show that only 21 cases have been finally notified under Section 39A, covering a total area of 2,36,366 sq mtrs
The Minister had also clarified that provisional proposals do not amount to land conversion, which can take effect only after a detailed legal process involving scrutiny, inviting objections and final notification by the government.
