+
Goa HC Strikes Down Zoning Provision in Planning Act
ECONOMY & POLICY

Goa HC Strikes Down Zoning Provision in Planning Act

The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has struck down Section 17(2) of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, ruling that it served private landowners' interests rather than public welfare. This section, introduced in March 2023, allowed authorities to rectify zoning inconsistencies, but petitioners argued it was being misused to convert land for commercial purposes. 

A division bench comprising Justices Nivedita P. Mehta and M. S. Karnik ruled that the provision undermined sustainable development and environmental concerns. The court noted that between March 2023 and January 2025, 353 approvals were granted under Section 17(2), impacting 2.654 million square meters. Most conversions involved shifting land use from paddy fields, natural cover, and no-development zones to settlement zones. 

The PIL, filed by Goa Foundation, Khazan Society of Goa, and Goa Bachao Abhiyan in June 2023, challenged the constitutional validity of the provision, arguing that it granted arbitrary powers to alter zoning regulations based on private requests. The court held that such plot-by-plot conversions were effectively mutilating the Regional Plan, which serves as Goa's long-term land-use blueprint. 

(The Hindu) 

The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has struck down Section 17(2) of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, ruling that it served private landowners' interests rather than public welfare. This section, introduced in March 2023, allowed authorities to rectify zoning inconsistencies, but petitioners argued it was being misused to convert land for commercial purposes. A division bench comprising Justices Nivedita P. Mehta and M. S. Karnik ruled that the provision undermined sustainable development and environmental concerns. The court noted that between March 2023 and January 2025, 353 approvals were granted under Section 17(2), impacting 2.654 million square meters. Most conversions involved shifting land use from paddy fields, natural cover, and no-development zones to settlement zones. The PIL, filed by Goa Foundation, Khazan Society of Goa, and Goa Bachao Abhiyan in June 2023, challenged the constitutional validity of the provision, arguing that it granted arbitrary powers to alter zoning regulations based on private requests. The court held that such plot-by-plot conversions were effectively mutilating the Regional Plan, which serves as Goa's long-term land-use blueprint. (The Hindu) 

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

TRAI Submits Reconsidered Recommendations on Spectrum for Indian Railways

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has submitted its response to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding the back-reference on TRAI’s recommendations dated 20 December 2024 about the assignment of additional spectrum to Indian Railways for safety and security applications.Earlier, DoT had requested TRAI on 26 July 2023 to examine Indian Railways’ demand for an additional 5 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band to be allocated free of cost to enhance its safety and security systems. Following a detailed consultation with stakeholders, TRAI submitted its initi..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India’s Quality Control Orders Expand Rapidly, Says Minister Goyal

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal highlighted the substantial growth in India’s Quality Control Orders (QCOs), which have increased from 14 orders covering 106 products in 2014 to 156 covering 672 products over the last decade. Speaking at the 75th anniversary celebration of SGS in India, held in New Delhi, he noted the government’s ongoing efforts to introduce broader horizontal and product-specific standards to ensure that goods and services made in India meet global benchmarks.Reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Zero Defect, Zero Effect,” ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

INC WMC Meet Charts Greener Mine Closure Path

The Indian National Committee of the World Mining Congress (INC WMC) has wrapped up its international conference on “Sustainable and Responsible Mining through Best Mine Closure Practices” in Hyderabad. The gathering drew policymakers, industry leaders, environmental specialists, academics and other stakeholders from India and abroad to exchange global expertise on responsible mine shutdowns.Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy, the event’s patron, outlined a vision for a greener, safer mining future and reaffirmed government backing for rigorous environmental standards. Sen..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?