— Attachment Content: February_25-_Joseph_-_Baga_hill_zone_changes_under_39A_opposed_by_villagers_of_Calangute-Arpora.docx —February 25- Joseph – Baga hill zone changes under 39A opposed by villagers of Calangute-Arpora Calangute: More than 800 residents of Calangute and Arpora have signed a complaint to the chief town planner opposing the conversion of properties totalling 65,310 sqmtrs of land on Baga hill into settlement under section 39A of the town and country planning (TCP) act. All the properties have been classified as no-development slope, orchard, private forest or natural cover in the Regional Plan 2021.The proposed change of zone under 39A is of properties in survey nos 254/1 (part), 260/5, 266/2, 76/0 of village Calangute, and 57/1A (plot no 1,3, 5, 6 ) of village Arpora-Nagoa, which were announced by a public notice no 36/18/39A/notification (42)/TCP/2026/62 dated 29/01/2026, gazette notification no 36/18/39A/notification (41)/TCP/2025/767, gazette notification no 36/18/39A/notification(44)/TCP/2026/96 dated 12/02/2026, and gazette notification no 36/18/39A/notification(43)/TCP/2026/61 dated 29/01/2026.“It is apparent that the town and country planning (TCP) board is proceeding to permit large-scale destruction of hill slopes and areas under natural cover. Such changes will irreversibly damage the village environment, disturb the ecological balance, and increase the risk of landslides, flooding, and loss of biodiversity,” said Premanand Divkar, complainant on behalf of the villagers.“We strongly regret to state that the recommendations made by the TCP board are not in the interest of the village, its residents, or environmental sustainability, but appear to be made in the interest of the builders’ lobby and real estate interests.“A gram sabha of village Arpora-Nagoa panchayat on 22/02/26 expressed its serious concern over the misuse of section 39-A of the TCP act for indiscriminate change of zoning and unanimously resolved to reject all applications for change in zoning within the jurisdiction of the village panchayat Arpora-Nagoa of the properties bearing survey nos mentioned,” the complaint states.“This proposal is yet another attempt to dilute the regional plan under the garb of “development”, while the real beneficiaries remain private interests. The proposed change to settlement zone defeats the very objective of planned development and conservation envisaged under the regional plan.“We, the citizens of Calangute constituency, demand that the government reject all zoning change applications filed under section 39-A of the TCP act, and scrap section 39-A completely, as it is being misused to destroy agricultural land, hills, forests, and village ecology,” the complaint states.
