Benaulim Congress Opposes TCP 39A Land Changes in Cavelossim

The Benaulim Block Congress has strongly objected to a recent public notice issued by the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, proposing changes in land use in Cavelossim.

The party condemned what it described as the continued misuse of Section 39A as a “backdoor mechanism” to alter land use, bypassing the sanctity and intent of the Regional Plan. It alleged that the provision is increasingly being used to benefit select interests at the cost of Goa’s ecological balance and local communities.

The party also raised concerns over the lack of transparency in the notice, stating that crucial details such as subdivision numbers have been concealed. According to the Benaulim Block Congress, this omission makes it difficult for affected stakeholders to identify the exact parcels of land under consideration and raises questions about the fairness of the process.

It further questioned the silence of the concerned MLA on the issue. “At a time when public trust and accountability are paramount, such silence is both disappointing and unacceptable,” the statement said.

The party criticised what it termed the Government’s selective approach in dealing with Section 39A. While noting announcements of rollback of 39A-related changes in constituencies such as St Andre and Sanquelim, it pointed out that no similar relief has been extended to other parts of Goa. It described this as a discriminatory approach that reflects a double standard in policy implementation.

“If the Government admits that Section 39A has been misused, then it must be scrapped entirely across Goa—not selectively rolled back in politically convenient constituencies,” Keith added.

The Benaulim Block Congress has demanded full disclosure of all survey and subdivision details related to the proposed land use changes, an immediate halt to all processes initiated under Section 39A, and a uniform policy decision to scrap the provision across the State. It also called for the protection of agricultural land, orchards, mangroves, and other ecologically sensitive zones from arbitrary conversion.