TCP Board okays zone-change papers as election code looms

PANAJI: Wary of the impending imposition of Election Code of Conduct due to by-polls for the Mandrem and Shiroda constituencies and the soon-to-follow Lok Sabha elections, the Town and Country Planning Board on Friday cleared dozens of applications for change of land-use zone under the recent section 16B amendment to the TCP Act.
The Board, which also extended the cut-off date for filing of applications under the amendment from January 26 to February 20, cleared some 60-odd applications including of the Goa Cricket Association in Mayem-Bicholim and another in Corjuem-Bardez from Bollywood actor Nana Patekar.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said, the Board also cleared conversion of orchard land in Kundaim where the property was already developed, sub-divided and sold as plots.
"Conversion for 117 such plots was cleared with the imposition of a fine at the rate of Rs 10,000 per plot," Sardesai said, adding that plot owners had filed individual application for changing the land-use zoning.
Sardesai said, clearances for change in land-use zoning granted by the Board under section 16B does not mean that the entire chunk of land is converted in one go.
"If within a chunk of land there are smaller eco-sensitive enclaves such as water bodies, mangroves and others, these are to be respected," he said, adding that for development within converted holdings the parties will have to respect the environment-protection laws and regime.
Sardesai said, within the land at Corjuem where Patekar has applied for conversion of his holding, a part is eco-sensitive as there is a mangrove. The Bollywood actor has declared the same and has vouched to respect the law which protects the mangrove, the minister said.
Included among the other applications for conversion of land-use zone cleared by the TCP board on Friday was also one from Tourism Minister Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar's wife.
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Uproar in Sarzora
forces TCP to
revoke approval

PANAJI: The Town and Country Planning Board on Friday revoked the approval granted in its past meeting to convert nearly 28,000 square metres of low-lying land after an uproar in Sarzora village led to the local panchayat rejecting the decision at a special gram sabha.
Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues who represents the area and who is also a member of the TCP Board had come under fire from the villagers for the decision. Rodrigues was however absent from the Board meeting which decided to approve the application from the Delhi-based builder.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said, the Board reconsidered the matter following objections in the village and revoked its decision on Friday.