Godinho opposes NDZ demarcation in Dabolim, seeks correction

Panaji: Panchayat minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho on Monday pushed back against the demarcation of land parcels in his constituency as no-development zones (NDZs). Godinho, who called the town and country planning (TCP) department’s decision a mistake, said that he has spoken to TCP minister Vishwajit Rane to get the errors corrected.In May, the TCP department declared over 2 crore sqm of land as NDZ, including private forests of Dabolim, Cortalim and Sancoale. Godinho said that the TCP failed to adhere to the final list of private forests in the Araujo report by the South Goa forest division committee.“There is a notified list for no-development zones, which was as per the final list notified as part of the Araujo report. Nobody has any objection if the notification is according to the final list.

This notification is based on the provisional list proposed earlier, but it was not in the final list. This is a mistake made by the TCP department, which I brought to the chief town planner’s notice. I think they are making that correction.

I spoke to the TCP minister, and he said that nobody will be troubled,” said Godinho.Godinho said that many representatives from the Dabolim constituency came to him to seek his intervention.

“There are homes, there are bungalows and subdivided plots and all these are legal. The TCP department permitted this; suddenly, how can they demarcate these places as NDZs?” said Godinho.The minister said that the TCP’s decisions are hurting locals from his constituency.“As long as Goans are not affected, but here there is a majority of Goans who have their properties, and if one fine morning you declare their properties as NDZ, what will they do?” said Godinho.Godinho also said that each panchayat should consider a carrying capacity study before approving large-scale housing projects.