PANAJI: State govt is in the process of framing a policy for setbacks to be maintained by structures along highways. Sources said chief minister Pramod Sawant has already given a go-ahead to the public works department (PWD) to frame such a policy, which will see a revision of the 20-metre setback set for structures several years ago in the state.
According to the guidelines of the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), a setback of 40m is prescribed along highways, which is double the prevailing setback in Goa.
When PWD officials consulted the ministry, they were informed that the MoRTH guidelines can be relied upon to prescribe setback for the state.
But state officials are in a quandary now because at many areas along highways in Goa, lands have already been purchased by builders and individual plot owners considering the prevailing setback, and structures have been planned accordingly. As doubling the setback would severely affect construction plans, state officials are deliberating on a middle path to navigate this technicality, sources said.
“Ministry officials said the setback can be arrived at based on its guidelines and that the ministry is not concerned with this matter beyond the right of way (RoW). Deliberations are on at present on whether a middle path can be arrived at and whether setback can be fixed at around 30m. As such, files for approval for setbacks for constructions are presently being returned by the PWD stating that framing of a policy is in progress,” said a source.
The PWD wants to prepare a land plan that gives an idea of how many structures could fall in the RoW if the setback is increased. It is also considering how many builders and plot owners have been granted relaxations in setbacks in the past, which still stand.
“One line of thought is that setback can be fixed at 30m, as land required for a four-lane road is 26m at present. Also, in many places, land beyond the RoW belongs to panchayats and comunidades and comes under the jurisdiction of the town and country planning department. All this will have to be taken into consideration,” said the official.
