He has been in the line of fire for land conversion in Goa since he took responsibility as TCP minister. But Vishwajit Rane reckons it’s all “understanding” that comes with “sensitive” portfolio. In freewheeling chat with The TOI teamhe tries to address the allegations and why he believes the planning process needs to change. Edited excerpt from Townhall With TOI
There are rumors that there is rampant land conversion happening in Goa during your tenure. How far is this true?
This is a perception that has been going on for a long time and this perception is definitely against the town and country planning department (TCP), which is a very sensitive department. If you think back to the past, there was always a provision for every little conversion. When in Regional Plan 2021 was created, 9.5cr sqm was converted and thousands of sqm were turned into rice fields, no development zones and several other things. I saw how arbitrarily the Regional Plan (RP) was formed and some of it was unbalanced. Then Section 16-B was inserted in the Town and Country Planning Act and there were 7,500 provisional letters issued.
After I took over the department, I realized that everything was stuck because of a certain court order, which had to be respected. There are people who come to invest in Goa and get stuck. There are guidelines but the guidelines are being broken. So, there is a need for new regulations. And as a result, we decided to bring more laws to give people a voice, because there is no provision to make corrections. Many people have benefited from Section 17 (2) of the TCP Act – some of the people’s lands were originally residential areas that were made into rice fields and gardens and put into different zones. He has been able to correct the classification.
Before he became TCP minister, 1.5cr sqm was converted and in certain ODP, more than 30 lakh sqm was converted. But we change that perception.
Mass Conversion Perception Created Because Vishwajit Rane Becomes Tcp Minister
But the fear is that the character of Goa is changing with mega projects.
The change in Goa’s character may be in someone else’s head, not mine.
There are many people who see Goa as their second home. People want to create home schools. People want to have different activities. Today, you have the Mopa airport, you have the All India Institute of Ayurveda… and all these are in Pernem taluka, which is the fastest growing taluka in the country. People want to invest in this taluka.
Today, we don’t have a golf course. Goa is a tourist destination and if you go to any other tourist destination, there will be not one but five to six golf courses. Japanese tourists prefer places with golf courses. Don’t you think Goa should have a golf course?
Doesn’t development benefit non-Goans more than Goans?
It is a misconception that only people who come from outside get all the benefits. There are people in the country who also benefit. Sanquelim or Bicholim people also want to have a better quality of life and live a better life. People want better facilities. My priority here is to see if we can make these types of regulations and change the overall dynamic so that people can live a better quality of life.
Who comes and who doesn’t, whether from Goa or outside Goa, is not my concern. My only duty is to solve their problems and provide whatever relief is needed from the department, while complying with all the rules and regulations. There are a lot of checks and balances. Before I became the TCP minister, there were many ministers. In my tenure, I have made sure that everything is handled.
Planning is the main function TCP department but this is one aspect that is missing today. The 2021 Regional Plan is overdue.
The role of the department needs to be redefined. The Regional Plan thought process is outdated. It’s time to live.
Area Plans Are Outdated, Zoning Plans Are The Way Forward
Do you think the Regional Plan process is outdated?
It is outdated because in Goa we have very sensitive people. The scale where you have to bring the Regional Plan, it will be a big exercise. It will not be finished in a certain time and as a result we will change the law and introduce the concept of the zoning plan. We said we will go taluka wise. We find that there is a problem in the RP and we say that the problem does not occur in the zoning plan. We still have to keep 2021 as a basic plan, but the Regional Plan in this day and age is a very difficult exercise. If I have completed the Regional Plan, the scale of land use change has been high, and people will again play the perception game. They will say that Vishwajit Rane has made a Regional Plan that is twice the old one and there will be hue and cry. So, it is best to deal with the problem wisely.
What is the way forward for the country?
To implement any planning in Goa is difficult. Zoning plans are the way forward. But I couldn’t communicate properly before. If we want a zoning plan, we have to sit with the panchayats first, discuss with them and send the plan to them, then after taking their opinion, we can inform them. There is no problem in exploring this process. We need a plan… we need to reverse the process, otherwise it won’t happen.
The rampant hill cutting has finally caught the attention of the government, with questions about the role of the TCP department.
I was a TCP minister and suddenly you find hill cutting highlighted until everyone blames TCP. This is exciting because the relevant departments need to act. All hill cutting that has been done in the country does not have permission from TCP. My department has not given permission nor does it intend to give permission. I have stopped granting permits and even considering applications unless a soil stabilization report and other requisites are included. Maybe because Vishwajit Rane is holding the portfolio, because of that there is a perception built. Or someone else wants to hold it (TCP portfolio).
Are you saying that dissent is a challenge?
Sometimes you will find someone who says my heart bleeds for Goa, but that person will own a 110-room house. It should be a 5-star resort. There will always be dissenting voices, but the government needs to be sure of what it wants. I have to be sure about what I want. When my father (Pratapsingh Rane) was the chief minister, he brought three regional plans and that’s when you can talk. There is one person who makes the decision. Departments can function independently. Today, there are limits, and you can’t do everything yourself. There’s a lot of pressure you have to deal with. There are some people, who can try to provoke, or you also have some opposition from you, who try to join forces and then try to create miscommunication. What happened is that those who seem to want to save Goa, they have already saved Goa. It’s part of life.