PANAJI: Town and country planning minister Vishwajit Rane said on Monday that his department plans to impose fines up to Rs 1 crore for hill cutting. The town and country planning (TCP) department plans to impose fines up to Rs 1 cr for hill cutting and other illegal activities in eco-sensitive zones, said TCP minister Vishwajit Rane.
Rane said that the department has not given any permission for hill cutting in the last six months. He mentioned that the conversion sanad for the Reis Magos villa project was granted in 1994, and the change of zone was done through the Regional Plan 2001.
“The first approval was given in 1995, while the revised approval was granted in 2008. Incorrect information about this matter is being spread among the public,” said Rane. “In the last six months, no permission was granted to anyone for hill cutting.”
He announced that the TCP department intends to amend the existing TCP regulations so that the minimum fine for any illegal violations, such as hill cutting and other illegal activities and plotting, will range from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 1 crore, depending on the size of the plot. Such a move, said Rane, will help deter violations and allow the department to immediately crack down on violations.
Rane had earlier said that despite filing FIRs and pursuing the matter in court, violators are rarely deterred.
“The departments of the deputy collector, mamlatdar, and the concerned talathis within the jurisdiction must take action against these illegalities, as directed by the chief minister. When the TCP department has not granted any permissions, there is no question of us giving any fresh permissions,” said Rane.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that the Wayanad landslide was a wake-up call for Goa. He had directed the authorities to immediately conduct stability studies of all landslide-prone areas and ordered talathis to monitor hill cutting. In the aftermath of the Wayanad landslide and the CM’s statement, the TCP department’s functioning has garnered a lot of scrutiny, with many calling for a halt to the conversion of land and development permissions on slopes.
Rane also said that in the future, new guidelines will be established, including requirements for soil stabilisation reports from engineers before construction or hill cutting is permitted on slopes. Several other guidelines will be brought in to deter violations.
“Not a single permission has been granted by TCP, and it is also the responsibility of other departments to act accordingly to prevent illegal hill cutting,” said Rane.
