The court said a prima facie perusal showed the change sought to be brought about by new ODPs was more drastic than the ones that were suspended
Goemkapronn desk
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has asked the state government to explain flip flops over the Outline Development Plans (ODPs) on the nature of development in coastal Calangute, Candolim, Arpora, Nagoa, and Parra villages. The government twice withdrew and reintroduced the plans.
The plans were first suspended for five villages in April 2022 because large-scale illegalities were suspected in their finalisation. A review committee noted that agricultural land was converted into a settlement zone. It found low-lying paddy fields were converted into development zones, etc.
The government invited proposals and objections to the plans and in December 2022 issued fresh ODPs for the coastal villages. It withdrew the plans a day later. A circular issued later said the plans stood lapsed and that development permissions would have to “strictly follow” the lapsed plans while scrutinising applications for construction, revision, the subdivision of land, zoning, and conversion.
The high court on Wednesday stayed the circular. “All this will have to be explained by the respondents, who half-heartedly urge that there was no problem with…ODPs but fail to explain why they were lapsed and re-introduced through this circular mode,” the court said.
The court said a prima facie perusal showed the change sought to be brought about by new ODPs was more drastic than the ones that were suspended for large-scale illegalities and irregularities. It cited scant concern towards the environment, ecology, and planning regulations and said the ODPs which now sought to be followed go even further.
Architect Tahir Noronha said ODPs are supposed to be temporary plans to lock down areas that are quickly growing through zoning to ensure sensitive areas are not encroached on, and development is directed to areas that can hold it. “The temporary nature is why an ODP can be a mere map, without much need for research, level of service, and water /electricity utility capacity studies. It is assumed that ODPs will be superseded by Comprehensive Development Plans (CDPs) as soon as the studies are done. Goa has gotten away with shirking on CDPs, by repeatedly revising ODPs before their horizon period…”