Don’t sell to non-Goans: Goa minister’s answer to ‘resentment’ over outsiders buying land

In an interrogation to a determination channel, Sequeira said, “Regarding land, determination are assorted issues. The archetypal contented is… who is selling onshore to the non- Goans? Isn’t it Goans? Otherwise, are the non-Goans coming and forcing you to sell? We are being offered tempting prices and that is why, sometimes, we succumb.”

He said radical from extracurricular Goa are offering higher prices for spot successful the state. “…many times, it is circumstances that unit america to merchantability our properties. And who offers more? It is the non-Goan. But the information is we are selling,” helium said.

“There is simply a batch of resentment due to the fact that onshore is being bought by non-Goans. My reply to that is we, Goans, should halt selling onshore to non-Goans. If we don’t merchantability our onshore to non-Goans, that contented comes nether control,” helium said.

He besides acknowledged that “it is incorrect for maine to speech of Goan/non-Goan”. “At the extremity of the day, we are each Indians. But since it is an issue, I americium talking astir it,” helium said.

On the contented of land-zone changes, for which the authorities authorities has travel nether disapproval successful caller weeks, Sequeira said changes successful onshore usage are a continuous process that has occurred during the tenure of erstwhile governments arsenic well.

“It is not thing new. Earlier also, the governments decidedly person changed onshore use…,” helium said, adding, “If I person understood correctly the process, the authorities assesses the request for changing zones, and based connected that it changes the zones.”

The Indian Express had reported connected September 9 that 2 Goa ministers, including Sequeira, arsenic good arsenic politicians cutting crossed enactment lines and respective existent property companies successful Goa were alleged beneficiaries of a arguable alteration successful onshore usage (section 17(2) of TCP Act).

The Express had reported that the TCP section approved alteration successful onshore usage for astatine slightest 20 lakh sq m of onshore implicit the past 18 months, converting “green zones” into “settlements” – allowing operation enactment for some residential and commercialized purposes, pushing up the land’s worth manifold.

“…I volition springiness you my ain case. In the determination program 2001, I had a spot successful Colva, implicit 1,500 sq m successful size. It is portion of my edifice project. Suddenly…this colony spot was changed to an orchard. I had a spot successful Nuvem. Around 4,000 sq m of that spot was besides settlement. Again, successful the determination program 2001, it was changed to an orchard,” helium said.

An amendment was brought to the TCP Act successful 2018, adding conception 16B, which allowed radical to petition the main municipality planner for alteration of portion successful the determination program connected a case-by-case basis.

“When 16B came…, I recovered retired that I was eligible for this correction, truthful I applied. I paid each the fees. It was notified,” Sequeira said.

However, successful 2022, the authorities announced that each recommendations nether conception 16B would beryllium scrapped, and it was aboriginal decided that the conception would beryllium repealed.

In March 2023, the authorities further amended the TCP Act and brought successful conception 17(2), which allows conversion of plots without nationalist consultation if the proprietor approaches the section with a petition to “correct inadvertent errors” oregon “rectify inconsistent/incoherent zoning” successful the determination program 2021.

Sequeira said, “The government, subsequently, successful its wisdom, brought conception 17(2). I was told that conception 16B is invalid. Again, I applied, but determination is simply a large hue and outcry arsenic to wherefore the ministers are doing that. You archer maine – I americium a joined man, I person a household – is it not my close to support my family?”