Team Goemkarponn
Panaji:In the wake of the High Court’s recent order on the demolition of illegal structures, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that the government will introduce a Bill to regularise such constructions. He said the draft legislation will be discussed in the Cabinet meeting today and tabled in the Assembly next week.
The assurance came after Congress MLA Carlos Ferreira raised serious concerns over the implications of the High Court’s ruling, particularly in areas with pre-existing structures that predate the Regional Plan 2021 (RPG-2021). He warned that entire villages such as Pomburpa, Ecoxim, and parts of Aldona could face devastation due to strict road and setback norms under the RPG.
Ferreira argued that thousands of traditional homes and long-standing settlements are now being deemed “illegal” due to technicalities, despite being built decades ago. “We’re looking at the possibility of whole communities being displaced — not because they violated the law intentionally, but because the planning framework changed over time,” he said.
CM Sawant acknowledged the gravity of the situation and said the government is aware of the hardships faced by residents living in such areas. “We are working on a solution. A Bill will be tabled to protect the interests of Goans while also respecting legal and environmental norms,” he told the House.
The proposed legislation is expected to cover pre-RPG-2021 structures and provide a legal framework to protect them from demolition, subject to certain conditions.
With pressure mounting from affected constituencies and MLAs across party lines, the move is likely to spark heated debate when tabled in the Assembly next week.
