Panaji: The town and country planning (TCP) department has granted final approval for 20 land conversion proposals under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act, converting 31,718sqm of land to settlement zones.Simultaneously, the department has opened a second set of 10 proposals for public objections, revealing a continuous pipeline of land use change across the state.Together, these 30 proposals account for approximately 54,430sqm of land proposed for conversion to settlement zones.A taluka-wise breakdown shows Pernem leading both in terms of total land converted and the size of individual parcels, driven by large-scale proposals in Mandrem and Corgao. Bardez follows with the highest number of applications but largely fragmented, small-scale conversions.Several of the approvals involve ecologically sensitive classifications, including orchard land, natural cover and cultivable land within irrigation command areas.In multiple cases, the notification specifies that secondary development will require clearances from forest department, water resources department and Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority.The biggest single beneficiary granted final approval is Sohum Shah Films Developers in Mandrem, Pernem, where 12,580sqm of orchard land, including portions under irrigation command area, has been converted to settlement.TCP chief town planner Vertika Dagur said that the land development and utilisation remains subject to strict compliance with permissions from the water resources department (WRD) before secondary development.Another significant conversion in the same taluka involves Satt Adhar Builders, which secured final approval for 9,600sqm of cultivable land in Corgao to be used for housing development. The cultivable land includes a No Development slope with irrigation command area, with the TCP department stating that the area is within permissible gradient.In comparison, Bardez taluka recorded the highest number of individual applications but involved significantly smaller parcels. However, a glance at the approvals shows that six adjoining plots in Salvador do Mundo alone account for 1,276sqm, with each proposal ranging between 210sqm and 214sqm.In Tiswadi, a relatively larger parcel of 2,508sqm has been approved in Panaji, involving conversion from natural reserve/orchard (A-2 zone) to settlement.The final approvals, said Dagur, were granted after scrutiny and consideration of objections.Among the fresh proposals that the TCP department has taken up for scrutiny, the largest chunk emerges from Bardez, where two adjoining proposals in Calangute alone account for 15,841sqm of proposed correction in the Regional Plan under provisions of Section 39A of the TCP Act. These involve the transformation of natural cover and no-development slope areas into settlement zones, subject to forest clearances.Another 5,130sqm proposal in Siolim seeks to convert a mix of natural cover, irrigation command areas and no-development slopes, indicating continued pressure on ecologically sensitive land parcels in the coastal belt.A 6,711sqm proposal at Chorao seeks conversion of orchard land, including portions affected by a proposed road alignment, while at Cortalim a 6,545 sq m proposal involves orchard land and slopes being opened for development.The department has said that the changes remain subject to the outcome of ongoing writ petitions before the Bombay high court.
