The department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) has notified 65 change of zone requests in the Regional Plan 2021 wherein the affected persons have been told to submit their objections within a two month period. Except for two proposals, the rest of the requests seek conversion of land to settlement areas under provisions of Section 16B of the TCP Act. The requests for change of zone pertain to land that is marked as orchard, natural covers and paddy fields.
TCP has rejected 20 out of the 65 applications which all happen to be in Ponda taluka as the said is earmarked as a protected reserve forest; while 9 other requests stand deferred till the slope analysis and site inspection for the said lands are carried out.
Commenting on the development, Chief town planna Rajesh Naik has said, “The remaining requests for change of zone which have been granted provisional clearance are subject to public objections and reports from the agriculture, forest and water resource departments.” The notification further said, “The TCP Board had directed that the proposals should be published and comments from the public be sought. Further deliberation will take place after receipts of reports from relevant departments and on receipt of comments if any from the public, after two months.”
The TCP Board, at its 168th meeting held in January, had reviewed the proposals and recommended that they should be notified for public feedback. Copies of the maps and a note containing the proposed changes have been made available for inspection at the TCP office.
