1 year ago
Goa Land Use Corrections Under Fire: Minister vs. Opposition
Goa's government is changing how land can be used, and it's causing a stir.
The government says it's just fixing mistakes in how land is categorized, like whether it can be built on or not.
They've approved changes to a lot of land.
But, some people are worried that this is harming farmland and allowing developers to build.
There's a disagreement about whether this is a harmless correction or a problem that allows destruction of agricultural lands.
The government says no farmland is being converted, but some are skeptical.
Goa's TCP Minister said land use corrections were approved for over 17 lakh square metres under Section 17(2).
Section 17(2) allows correction of land use based on individual applications to rectify zoning errors.
The High Court of Bombay at Goa read down Section 17(2); the state government challenged the order.
The Opposition voiced concerns about the 'destruction of agricultural land' through zone corrections.
An investigation reported land use changes converting 'green zones' to 'settlements'.
- Who
- Goa's TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane and the Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
- What
- Land use correction under the Goa Town and Country Planning Act.
- Where
- Goa
- When
- The TCP department approved land use corrections between March 2023 and August 2024.
- Why
- To correct zoning errors and rectify inconsistent land use, but with accusations of harming farmland.
Opposition's Concerns
Government's Stance
Impact on Agricultural Land
Opposition's Concerns
Land use corrections are destroying agricultural land.
Government's Stance
Land use corrections are rectifying zoning errors.
Key facts
- Minister
- Vishwajit Rane
- Opposition Leader
- Yuri Alemao
- Land Corrected (Section 17(2))
- Over 17 lakh square metres
- Section 39A Applications
- 950 received
- Section 39A Land Corrected
- 2.7 lakh square metres
- High Court Ruling
- Read down Section 17(2)
- Government Response
- Challenged the High Court order
Quotes
Yuri Alemao
Congress’s Leader of Opposition in the Assembly
“A deeply troubling picture of systematic destruction of Goa’s agricultural land, all pushed through in the name of ‘zone correction’ under section 17(2) of the TCP Act, is seen.”
indianexpress.com
“I want to ask the government whether it will bring a new regional plan.”
indianexpress.com
Vishwajit Rane
Goa’s Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister
“We are not converting any land under section 17(2). It is correction.”
indianexpress.com
