Goa High Court Strikes Down Controversial Zoning Section of Town Planning Act

The Goa Bench of Bombay High Court has invalidated section 17(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act, which permitted zoning changes, stating it prioritized private landowner benefits over public interests. This decision responded to a PIL filed by citizen groups concerned about its misuse for commercial gains.

The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has declared section 17(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, unconstitutional. This section allowed zoning modifications within zones, which the court found favored private landowners over public interest.

Citizen groups, including Goa Foundation, Khazan Society of Goa, and Goa Bachao Abhiyan, had filed a public interest litigation against this section. They argued it facilitated the misuse of land zoning for commercial purposes, harming sustainable development and environmental conservation efforts in the region.

Between March 2023 and January 2, 2024, around 353 approvals for zoning changes were granted, reforming 26,54,286 square meters, often from ecologically sensitive areas to settlement zones. The court criticized this practice as detrimental to the Regional Plan's integrity, leading to the verdict to strike down the section.

(With inputs from agencies.)