Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) president Manoj Parab has raised alarm over what he described as unchecked and large-scale land conversions across Goa, demanding that the state government scrap the Regional Plan and impose an immediate freeze on all land use changes.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Parab alleged that in the past two and a half years alone, more than 2.5 million square metres of land had been converted, largely in Goa’s rural villages, which he claimed were being systematically eroded by this trend.
“Our villages are being dismantled in the name of development,” Parab said, adding that the conversions are being enabled by government officials and political figures who manipulate existing legal frameworks to push through approvals.
According to Parab, an additional 10 million square metres of land is currently awaiting conversion approvals. He pointed to the misuse of provisions under Sections 39A and 16B of land-use laws, which he said have enabled both the present and previous governments to reclassify vast tracts of land into settlement zones.
Tracing the origin of the issue, Parab said the Congress government in 2011 initiated land allocations that were later misused. He further accused the 2012 BJP-led administration of offering a blanket amnesty, which allowed such conversions to continue unchecked.
Parab was especially critical of former Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai, claiming that Sardesai’s move to re-notify the Regional Plan had favored large-scale conversions under various guises.
The RGP chief also took aim at the recent cancellation of the zoning plan, calling it a calculated move to pave the way for even more aggressive conversions, particularly in coastal belts. He cited Korgaon, where over 74,000 square metres of land have allegedly already been converted, as an example of the ongoing damage.
“Villages like Morjim, Arambol, and Korgaon are now in the crosshairs. If this continues, Goa’s identity will be lost,” Parab warned.
He reiterated his party’s demand for a complete review and rollback of all recent conversions, and urged the state to uphold the ecological and cultural integrity of Goa’s villages.
