Panaji: The Goa Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board on Tuesday issued a policy directive aimed at preserving traditional rural heritage structures by restricting construction on plots housing pre-1961 traditional houses, officials said.
The meeting of the TCP Board was held in Panaji and chaired by Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane.
Under the directive, all pre-1961 traditional houses located on plots measuring 500 square metres or more and situated outside Outline Development Plan (ODP) areas will be subject to a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 40 per cent. Goa was liberated from 450 years of Portuguese rule in 1961.
The directive also prohibits the structural demolition of such traditional houses, with the stated objective of safeguarding Goa’s architectural identity and preserving the historical character of rural settlements.
The move is intended to protect traditional houses and the surrounding streetscape while regulating development in areas that fall outside ODP jurisdictions.
The directive comes amid a growing focus on preserving Goa’s traditional architecture and built heritage while allowing regulated development.
