39A DELHI BUILDER DRIVEN!

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Changes in the zoning plan under Article 39A have not spared even cultivable agriculture land, irrigated land, hill slopes and even areas within the No Development Zone of the Old Goa heritage site. The coversions are driven by builders outside Goa like DLF and Lodhas.

A CLOSE study of the conversions granted under Section 39 (A) of the Town & Country Planning Act, reveals that the majority of the conversions were driven by the real estate lobby in Delhi and Mumbai. Not excluding the big builders from Goa. Just a single page of the permissions granted for conversions in Pernem, Bardez and Ponda reveal the dominance of the non-Goan real estate lobby.
In Arambol for instance the conversion of 1 lakh sq mts from orchard to settlement was done at the instance of Kishor Kumar Singla. It did not matter to the TCP minister, that the land handed over to the builder, was being used as a playground by local children from neighboring schools.
In Pernem alone Singla had more than 2 lakh sq mts converted not only from orchard to settlement but even on the hill slopes. The comments section of the conversions, which gives the reasons for conversions, reveals that permission was given even in the No Development Zone where the hill gradient was more than 25%. Of the land permitted to be converted on 13 Nov, 2025 608 sq mts was being used as a crematorium by the local panchayat of Arambol. We hope that no ghosts will haunt the Delhiwallahs and others who purchase the premium flats and villas on areas built on by the Singlas developing project.
In Bardez, a company called Investex Goodwill Developers, represented by Hanif Laljee, got over 5,000 sq mts of natural cover in the No Develoment Zone converted into settlement in Salvador Mundo which is part of the Porvorim constituency of Rohan Khaunte. In Saligao, Ratrico Developers represented by Chandrapal Singh and Sanjay Sharma was allowed to convert a huge plot of 20,000 sq mts from orchard in Non Development Zone subject to it being the permissible gradient.

RIGGED MAPPING
AS we have seen in several cases the permissible gradient was often rigged by the builder, who provided construction maps showing that the original Survey of India maps had shown the wrong gradient. This was pointed out by advocate Norma Alvares at the first Enough to Enough meeting where she red-flagged the role of unscrupulous architects in this matter of questionable permissions for conversions.
In Siolim in Bardez, Manoj Khandelwal was permitted to convert over 50,000 sq mts of wetland, subject to permission from the Irrigation department. There is no doubt that the Irrigation department promptly gave the permission. In Shiroda and Ponda, Susheela Tonsha was allowed a change of zone from orchard to settlement. It is not only builders from north Goa but also real estate barons from the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, who have been grabbing land for mega projects in Goa.
In Morgim M/s Ganga Reddy Infra Pvt Ltd has been allowed to convert over 20,000 sq mts of land spread over four survey numbers. Kibana Assets promoted by Vikas Kantariya has been allowed to convert over 20,000 sq mts of paddy fields into settlement zone. Similarly, a builder from Kerala, Reena Engineers & Contractors represented by James Chacko, has been allowed to convert 10,000 sq mts of paddy fields into commercial space. The Chadha family comprising Balprit Singh Chadha and presumably his wife Baljeet Kaur, have been allowed to convert 4,000 sq mts from cultivable agricultural land to settlement.
It is acknowledged by the TCP that even forested land in parts of Pernem have been allowed to be converted by Skyson Real Estate represented by Suman Kumar Bindal. Zuari Industries of course which was granted several lakh square meters of land when Shashikala Kakodkar was the chief minister, for setting up its fertilizer company in Sanquale, has been permitted to revert the land intended for industrial use to settlement use. Zuari has been allowed to divert over 2 lakh sq mts of natural reserve including ponds to settlement to build premium villas for sale.

NO REASON
IN the case of the majority of the conversions no reason has been given. The column where the TCP is required to give justification of the proposed change of zone merely states approved for change of zone with “no comments.” We have found dozens of such permissions even close to the famous Aravalli Waterfalls to be converted to settlement without any justification. There are many cases where conversions have been permitted in the No Development Zone of the coastal regulations zone authority. Some of the permissions are subject to clearance by Water Resources department. Most of the conversions are for change of zone from natural cover to settlement or commercial. There are, however, many conversions from forest to settlement like the project of the Rajalakshmi Dealcom Ltd represented by Ragesh KumarAggarwal.
A local builder, Priority Constructions, represented by Ulhas Nachinolkar from the family of a former dean of the GMC, has been recommended for development as a commercial zone in Talegao constituency. Nothing has been sacred for the Town & Country Planning department. In Pernem, a Cancona conversion has been permitted of sacred groves. There have been loud protests in Keri in Ponda taluka against the proposal for finding a permanent home for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) on land having over 20 temples of local tribal deities. The permissions were extend not only to agricultural and natural cover but also to hill slopes and the non-development areas on the coast. It may be recalled that locals have protesting about a project involving 12 villas with swimming pools in Colva.
Among the biggest project of course is the House of Abhinandan Lodha in Bicholim. The Abhinandan Lodha group has sent the Goan Observer an email message saying it has nothing to do with another Lodha group which is putting up huge towers in Andheri West in Mumbai. The Abhinandan Lodha group also claims that the conversions in land owned by Kharapur Agro were done over 20 years ago when the then Talegao MLA Babush Monserrate had come out with his Regional Plan 2011, which was subsequently scraped. Presumably, if the 2011 Regional Plan was scrapped, it would mean the permission given to Abhinandan Lodha is no longer valid.
The real issue is carrying capacity naturally. Can tiny Goa state absorb such mega projects of hundreds of apartments and villas with swimming pools? Can Goans allow the conquest of Goa by Delhi builders as one of the advertisements on Facebook proudly proclaims.
The bill drafted by Justice Ferdino Rebello, which is expected to be introduced in the coming session of the Goa legislative assembly by Leader of the Oppositon Yuri Alemao and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai proposes a budget for carrying out a suvery of the carrying capacity of various villages affected by all the construction boom. Indeed, this was the principal behind Regional Plan 2021 drafted by a special committee chaired by the late Charles Correia. Then town planner Edgar Rebello and the architect Dean D’Cruz were part of the group which carried out the survey of carrying capacity, to find out if infrastructure in the villages can sustain such huge mega projects, the kind being promoted by builders from the mega cities of Delhi and Mumbai?
Unlike local builders the Delhi real estate builders have huge financial resources. It may be pointed out that DFL Ltd, which has mega projects in Goa, is reported to have built the parallel city of Gurgaon adjoining New Delhi. What will happen if Goa turns into another Gurgaon and will Goa’s still pathetic infrastructure be able to sustain it, for how long.