Pomburpa land conversion faces PIL challenge in Bombay High Court

25 Nov 2024 CW Team

D’Cruz, an architect, has contested the land conversion sanad, technical clearance, building license, and the conversion process itself. Although the Pomburpa land was initially notified as a private forest in the official gazette, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, two months later, declared that it was not part of a private forest and changed the zoning to a settlement area, D’Cruz claimed.

The court found merit in D’Cruz’s argument and has asked for affidavits in response within three weeks from the TCP and Forest Departments, the Pomburpa panchayat, the North Goa collector, and the Tiswadi mamlatdar.

D’Cruz argued that the land was listed as a private forest in the September 2022 gazette, but the forest department disregarded this notification, issuing a conflicting report to the Additional Collector III of North Goa. This report cleared the land of private forest zoning, which led to the issuance of the conversion sanad.

The issue was raised in August when the Pomburpa-Olaulim panchayat informed the Chief Conservator of Forests that the report issued on November 16, 2022, was invalid due to the land's designation as a private forest in the gazette. D’Cruz pointed out that the Chief Conservator had yet to clarify the matter.

Following the report from the Chief Conservator and other officials, the collector issued the conversion sanad, and the TCP Department granted technical clearance for development. D’Cruz further noted that the TCP Department had issued the building license on November 30, 2022, before the conversion sanad was officially issued on December 9, 2022.

(ET)

The Bombay High Court has called for responses from authorities regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former task force member Dean D’Cruz, challenging the conversion of land at Pomburpa from private forest status to settlement area. D’Cruz, an architect, has contested the land conversion sanad, technical clearance, building license, and the conversion process itself. Although the Pomburpa land was initially notified as a private forest in the official gazette, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, two months later, declared that it was not part of a private forest and changed the zoning to a settlement area, D’Cruz claimed. The court found merit in D’Cruz’s argument and has asked for affidavits in response within three weeks from the TCP and Forest Departments, the Pomburpa panchayat, the North Goa collector, and the Tiswadi mamlatdar. D’Cruz argued that the land was listed as a private forest in the September 2022 gazette, but the forest department disregarded this notification, issuing a conflicting report to the Additional Collector III of North Goa. This report cleared the land of private forest zoning, which led to the issuance of the conversion sanad. The issue was raised in August when the Pomburpa-Olaulim panchayat informed the Chief Conservator of Forests that the report issued on November 16, 2022, was invalid due to the land's designation as a private forest in the gazette. D’Cruz pointed out that the Chief Conservator had yet to clarify the matter. Following the report from the Chief Conservator and other officials, the collector issued the conversion sanad, and the TCP Department granted technical clearance for development. D’Cruz further noted that the TCP Department had issued the building license on November 30, 2022, before the conversion sanad was officially issued on December 9, 2022. (ET)

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

Real Estate

29 Jul 2026

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Equipment

29 Jul 2026

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..