Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Government of Goa’s Department of Town and Country Planning has notified the Goa Land Development and Building Construction (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, introducing revised provisions governing land use, development and building construction across the state.
The amendment was issued under Notification No. 21/1/TCP/GLDBCR-2010/TCP/2026/1603 by order of the Governor of Goa and came into force following its publication in the Official Gazette on August 13, 2026.
A key change is the substitution of Regulation 6A.2.1, which sets out a revised list of prohibited land uses across different zoning categories.
In residential zones (SPR, S1, S2, S3 and S4), activities such as wholesale trade, warehousing, scrap yards, automobile workshops and noisy engineering units have been prohibited. Commercial activities along main streets are subject to restrictions, including a limit of 50% of the proposed covered area and restrictions on roads narrower than eight metres.
The amended regulations also state that professional offices, including IT and IT-enabled services operating from residences, cannot exceed 10% of the carpet area where the property is located on a road less than 10 metres wide.
In commercial zones, including SPC, C1 Special, C1, C2, C3 and C4, extensive heavy or noxious industries and gas works have been prohibited. The regulations also prescribe minimum plot sizes and frontage requirements for establishments such as hospitals, cinemas and hotels.
For industrial zones (I-1, I-2 and I-3), noxious, hazardous and heavy operations are prohibited in restricted areas. However, auxiliary facilities such as staff housing, canteens and administrative offices are permitted up to 15% of the permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR) or built-up area.
In agricultural zones (A1 and A2), non-agricultural uses continue to be prohibited, with specified exemptions for activities such as irrigation, farmhouses and agro-processing units.
The amendment also lays down requirements for specialised institutions such as agricultural research centres and meditation centres, with minimum plot requirements ranging from 50,000 square metres to 200,000 square metres, along with prescribed FAR limits.
The amendment further substitutes Regulation 6A.3 to provide that uses not specifically prohibited under the revised regulations will be permitted, subject to other applicable provisions.
It also clarifies the calculation of development charges in planning areas. Such charges will be applicable based on whichever is higher between the relevant zone rate and usage rate, with the provision expressly extended to mezzanine floors.
Regulation 6A.3.1 of the principal 2010 regulations has also been omitted as part of the latest amendments.
