Can the BJP please explain this!! BJP froze RP 2021, but converts land: Vijai TNN | Nov 26, 2014, 02.18 AM IST MARGAO: Fatorda independent MLA Vijai Sardesai has alleged conversion of land in Loliem, Canacona, from orchard to commercial when the Regional Plan 2021 is still in abeyance. Addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, Sardesai claimed to have documents in his possession in support of his allegations that the BJP government was continuing with conversion of large tracts of agricultural, forest and orchard lands in Goa while the regional plan is kept frozen. Sardesai cited a case of land conversion in Canacona where a Delhi-based firm purchased a large plot of land in Loliem in 2006 and applied for sanad for commercial purposes in 2010. Sardesai pointed out that despite the application being rejected by the Canacona town planner in 2011, the proposal was later cleared by the then district collector. The conversion has been granted based on the strength of a proposed 8m access road, while the reality is that presently, the only access to the land is a narrow traditional pathway, Sardesai said. He demanded that chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar institute an inquiry into the matter immediately and rescind the sanad. While alleging that there were serious irregularities in a case of land conversion in Canacona, he charged the state BJP government with deliberately putting the regional plan in cold storage with a view to facilitating illegal conversions of large tracts of land in the state. Sardesai said that the Delhi-based party which purchased the land in 2006 in Loliem, applied for issue of sanad for commercial purposes, for a hotel. In fact, though this land is part of eco-tourism zone as marked in the Regional Plan 2021, it falls in Orchard Zone as per the Regional Plan 2001, he said. The Parrikar-led government had all along taken a clear stand that all TCP permissions and technical clearances would conform to land-use as per both RPs 2001 & 2021. Accordingly, the deputy town planner, Canacona, in his letter dated February 8, 2011, to the collector, South Goa, has clearly stated that the conversion proposed cannot be recommended. Hence the proposal is rejected. In spite of this, Sardesai said the proposal was cleared on February 1, 2013, converting 1.5 lakh sqm out of the 2.7 lakh sqm property. He alleged backing of a minister in the conversion. Sardesai said that documents have shown that the company paid more than 2 crore as conversion fee which is calculated on the basis of rates for conversion to commercial use. While there is no revenue acceptance policy in force for eco-tourism zone, it appears that this a deliberate ploy on the part of the government to accept fees at commercial rates, thus allowing the applicants to gain a legal foothold in the future to claim FAR of up to 1.5, instead of the 0.10 applicable for Eco-Tourism Zones, the Fatorda MLA alleged. Whilst ordinary Goans are expected to obey prevailing laws stipulating 8m wide roads for multi-family dwelling and 6m road for houses, Delhi-walas are allowed to have their large properties converted without any access. Is this Parivartan? he asked. Stating that there were two more such cases that he would expose at the right time, Sardesai said, BJPs parivartan campaign called for scrapping of the RP 2021 and criticized the eco-tourisn zones as backdoor destruction of eco-sensitive areas and their conversion to non-agricultural purposes. How does the BJP government now justify this sanad?
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 09:05:17 +0000
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