PANAJI: The Town and Country Planning (TCP) department has reviewed land proposals totaling 88,249 sqm under Section 39A. The state government has given final approval for 34,527 sqm and the TCP board has recommended an additional 53,722 sqm for public review. Bardez remains the leader in land conversion, accounting for nearly 69% of the area included in these proposals and approvals.
The most substantial proposal involves 31,869 sqm in Tivim, Bardez, where agricultural land within an irrigation area is set for conversion to a settlement zone, pending comments from the Water Resources Department (WRD). Another key proposal consists of 20,000 sqm in Nadora, Bardez, which includes orchard and natural land intended for settlement use, awaiting input from the Forest Department and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
Additionally, the government has finalized six previously processed Section 39A applications, covering a total of 34,527 sqm. This includes two adjoining plots in Arpora, where 8,619 sqm of natural land has been converted to a settlement zone. Similarly, in Arambol, 14,400 sqm comprising orchard land and cultivable areas has received approval for settlement conversion.
Other approvals entail 4,000 sqm in Loutolim, 6,542 sqm in Ella, and 966 sqm in Nagorcem-Palolem. An analysis indicates that Bardez accounts for approximately 60,488 sqm of land under Section 39A alterations, emphasizing its central role in such transformations. Large areas of natural cover, orchard, and cultivable land are frequently included in applications seeking settlement status.
Outside of Bardez, proposals are primarily found in Pernem, Salcete, and Tiswadi, with smaller applications emerging from Quepem, Sattari, and Canacona. These notifications indicate that all proposed changes must receive statutory departmental approvals. The final modifications endorsed by the government are also subject to outcomes from pending public interest litigations challenging the Section 39A process before the Bombay High Court in Goa.
