Kamal Ghorui
Panaji: The town and country planning (TCP) department has approved 11 zone change proposals, converting over 79,000sqm of land into settlement zones across Bardez and Pernem talukas under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act. The approvals followed scrutiny by the TCP board and clearance by the state govt after considering public objections.A major share of the land being converted lies in Pernem and Bardez. The notification indicates that large landholdings continue to benefit real estate developers following such conversions.The largest conversion was cleared in Tivim, where Green First Estate Pvt Ltd secured approval for 50,472sqm. This includes 43,181sqm of cultivable land within an irrigation command area and 7,291sqm of playground land, both converted into settlement. Any secondary development will require a no-objection certificate from the water resources department.Another major approval was in Calangute, where Coastal Retreats received permission to convert 19,415sqm within a heritage landscape zone. This includes 18,572sqm of natural cover, 315sqm of orchard land, and 528sqm on no-development slopes, subject to forest department and GCZMA clearances.In Penha de Franca, Sky Sun Real Estate obtained approval to convert 1,869sqm of orchard land, including no-development slopes, into settlement, subject to forest clearance.In Pernem taluka, approvals include 4,000sqm and 2,025sqm of orchard land in Morjim, and 400sqm in Tuem. Smaller conversions include 915sqm in Salvador do Mundo, 425sqm in Socorro, and 95sqm in Nerul, along with additional parcels ranging between 210sqm and 495sqm.The notification also notes incremental conversions in adjoining Bardez villages, where multiple small parcels have been reclassified for settlement use. Officials said such proposals are processed after due procedure and statutory checks, though concerns over cumulative impact on ecology and infrastructure remain among stakeholders and residents.
