Underpricing for zone change under vigilance dept’s lens: AG

Panaji: Advocate general Devidas Pangam told the high country of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday that the vigilance department was examining cases of undercharging of fees for zone changes levied by the town and country planning (TCP) department.
According to petitioners Swapnesh Sherlekar and two others, in several cases, the TCP department applied old fees for zone changes under Section 17(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act.
The underpricing, the petitioner alleged, has caused a loss of crores of rupees to govt. The petitioners, through their counsel Rohit Bras De Sa, told the high court at the last hearing that had they had not revealed this, the loss of revenue to the state exchequer would have remained unaccounted for.
Govt then informed the high court that undercharging was noted in 46 cases of zone changes and that notices had been issued to the parties concerned for recovery. This list was also submitted to the high court.
The matter will now be heard by the HC on April 8. Five respondents, including the chief secretary and the TCP department, have been given two weeks to file their respective replies. In a related development last week, albeit in a separate plea, the high court had repealed the rules and guidelines of Section 17(2) which facilitated the modifications of zones.