Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji

Panaji, Aug 7: In a significant move to curb rampant hill cutting and illegal land plotting in Goa, Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday announced that the government is working on introducing a strict law ahead of the next Assembly session. He said the department will begin filing FIRs in all violations henceforth.

Rane’s assurance came during the ongoing Assembly session, responding to concerns raised by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, who highlighted that over 1,000 such illegalities have been reported across the state.

Addressing the House, the minister clarified that no cultivable land had been converted under any provision of the TCP Act. He informed that while 1 crore square metres of land was cleared under the now-defunct Section 16B, another 17 lakh square metres were approved under Section 17(2) of the Regional Plan 2021 — a case that is currently sub judice before the Supreme Court.
Further elaborating, Rane said that under Section 39A, the department received 950 applications for land use change, of which only 200 were approved and 35 notified.

Reaffirming the government’s respect for the judiciary, Rane said, “We are fully committed to rectifying any wrongs if pointed out by the courts. We will wait for the judiciary to decide.”

Responding to the demand for a fresh Regional Plan, Rane said the government would take a decision at the right time, and only in accordance with the law.