Kamal Ghorui
Mapusa: Amid a growing controversy over large-scale land conversions and increasing demands to scrap Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar has proposed introducing two private members’ bills in the upcoming budget session of the Goa legislative assembly, which begins on March 6.Arolkar alleged that his voice was suppressed after his question on the issue was not taken up in previous sessions. He claimed that nearly 60 lakh sqm of land in his Mandrem constituency is currently undergoing provisional conversion without the consent of local panchayats.According to him, these conversions are being carried out to meet the rising demand for land. “For a second home, everyone wants land in Goa,” Arolkar said.His opposition comes in the wake of a public movement in Arambol that compelled govt to keep certain land conversions in Mandrem on hold. However, the MLA alleged that despite the protests, the TCP department has continued to process land changes under the controversial provision of the Act.Arolkar said the proposed bills are aimed at ensuring land security in Pernem by creating a separate legal framework for ecologically sensitive areas and addressing loopholes in Section 39A of the TCP Act.
