REGIONAL PLAN 2021: FEARS OVER SETTLEMENT ZONE

PANJIM: Contrary to the suspicions that large areas of land would be brought under settlement zones in the Regional Plan 2021, the state level committee has recommended that no development should be permitted in 80 per cent of state land and only allowed increase in settlement area based on projected development of the areas during the plan period, even as the settlement zones in the Regional Plan 2001 stand corrected.

The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat told reporters at a presentation at the state secretariat on Wednesday that the efforts of the government were to give a foolproof regional plan to the people of the state. He said that given the process involved in preparing the plan and finalising it in view of around 9,000 comments or suggestions received from the public the process took a longer time than expected.

The SLC has also recommended that Goa be made a knowledge hub wherein centres specialised in higher learning be set up. It has also proposed roadmap for economic growth of the state and suggested setting up of micro industrial zones to arrest migration of rural people for their economic growth. Besides, sports city and film city have been proposed at Dhargalim in Pernem taluka and Durbhat in Ponda taluka.

The government on Wednesday issued orders for notification of the Regional Plan 2021 in the official gazette for two talukas of Pernem and Canacona, following which the proposal made by the SLC as regards to rationalisation of the floor area ratio, non-occupancy tax and steep charges for land conversions would become effective. The Chief Minister also said the end result of the whole exercise appeared to be very good as the new regional plan would prevent its manipulation to suit the ends of vested interest.

"This is for the first time that such an exercise has been undertaken in any state," he said adding that before giving their comments or suggestions the people in villages had something to debate upon in the form of draft regional plan.

Mr Kamat also said that all the recommendations by the SLC, including setting up of special cell to monitor implementation of the Regional Plan, would be accepted by the government.

"We have tried to protect the interest of the Goans through the RP-2021," he said adding that the plans with respect to two talukas would be released every month till the process was completed. He, however, did not specify exact date by which the whole plan would be finalised.

The SLC has recommended various policies including only two categories for settlement in the state, as against three earlier, wherein the areas falling under VP-I would have FAR of 80, while in the case of VP-II it would be 60. In case the area to be developed is more than 4,000 square metres than the FAR would be reduced to 60 in VP-I areas while in the case of VP-II areas it would be 50.

As per the SLC proposal, the VP-I areas would mostly be in the hinterland areas while the coastal areas have been placed under VP-II status. The SLC has also proposed two golf courses, one in Pernem and the other in Canacona, even as it has also proposed some blobs for tourism development in the two talukas, which would create employment opportunities for the locals.

In the tourism blobs the owners or developers would have to own minimum of 2 lakh square metres of land of which only 10 per cent would be allowed to be developed and only structure of ground plus one would be permitted. "Even if any one owns up to 10 lakh square metres the maximum land which would be allowed to be developed would not be more than 40,000 square metres.

The new Regional Plan would not allow manipulations as no ambiguities have been left and would help the authority in evolving transparency in future development. In the new RP-2021 change of zones would not be possible and conversion of land would be allowed only in settlement zones. Besides, development corridor has been proposed between Dharbandora and Tivim (in North Goa) and Balli (in South Goa), and highway along these two areas for decongesting the highways.

The SLC has identified Eco-I and Eco-II zones covering almost 80 per cent of total state land to protect the green cover. In Eco-I zone (under which 54 per cent of state land would lie) no development activity would be permitted and Eco-II zone (under which 26 per cent of land would fall including the land under Coastal regulation Zone) only minor development would be permitted with stringent controls.

The SLC has also recommended formulation of a few other policies including levying of non-occupancy tax to curb the concept of second homes and stringent fees for conversion of land.

These recommendations would become law with the notification of final plans for two talukas of Pernem and Canacona and would be applicable to all the talukas.

The presentation was given by Mr Sanjit Rodrigues, member secretary of the SLC.

Mr Charles Correia, a renowned planner who is also a SLC member, said the authorities have undertaken a gigantic task in formulating the plan and correcting it with the data available besides collecting fresh data to give a plan that none has done so far in the country. It would ensure transparent development in future and put an end to manipulations, he observed.