Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board has introduced restrictions on the redevelopment of properties containing pre-1961 traditional houses, in a move aimed at preserving Goa’s rural architectural heritage.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the TCP Board chaired by Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday.
As per the new directive, plots measuring 500 square metres or more that contain pre-1961 traditional houses and are located outside Outline Development Plan (ODP) areas will be subject to a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) cap of 40 per cent.
The policy also bars the structural demolition of the identified traditional houses. This provision is intended to ensure that such houses remain intact even when regulated construction is permitted on the surrounding property.
The government’s move comes against the backdrop of growing redevelopment activity in Goa’s rural areas, where traditional homes and their adjoining streetscapes have increasingly come under pressure from new construction.
Officials and sources associated with the decision said the restrictions are intended to retain the architectural character of traditional settlements while allowing a controlled level of development on eligible plots.
The directive is specifically applicable to properties outside ODP areas, where development is otherwise governed by planning regulations. The latest measure adds a layer of protection for traditional structures considered significant to Goa’s built heritage.
