Panaji: In a major clampdown on unregulated development, the Goa government has announced that construction permissions will now be granted strictly on a “need-based” basis, following its move to freeze land in eco-sensitive zones, including riverbanks.
State Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane said the decision comes amid growing concerns over the state’s shrinking developable land and fragile ecology.
“Goa has very limited developable land due to its ecological sensitivity. We cannot afford unchecked construction,” Rane told reporters on Saturday.
Drawing a firm line, the minister said no construction or development will be allowed in no-development zones identified by the TCP and Forest departments.
Signalling a tougher policy stance, Rane said future approvals will be granted only after strict scrutiny of actual requirements. “Permissions will be need-based. We will not allow large parcels of land to be converted indiscriminately,” he said.
Highlighting what he termed as a corrective approach, Rane noted that only seven lakh square metres of land has been approved for development during his tenure, despite proposals seeking conversion of land running into crores of square metres.
Taking aim at past planning decisions, he said the Regional Plan 2021 had rezoned nearly 9.5 crore square metres as development zones. “We are here to rectify those mistakes,” he added.
In a significant warning to errant officials, the minister said FIRs will be filed against those who allegedly classified private forest land as settlement zones in Pernem taluka.
Further tightening norms, the government has also barred construction within 100 metres of hill slopes, a move aimed at preventing environmental degradation in vulnerable areas.
The crackdown follows the Forest Department’s recent decision to declare 6.27 crore square metres of land along the Mandovi and Zuari rivers as ecologically sensitive, reinforcing the state’s push towards stricter land-use regulation.
