Bhoma villagers in Goa have opposed the conversion of village land into settlement zones under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, widening a dispute already centred on the proposed four-laning of the highway through the village.
A group of residents met Bhoma-Adcolna sarpanch Abdul Khan on Monday and asked the panchayat to formally register its opposition to the land conversions. The villagers said unchecked conversion would damage Bhoma’s landscape and alter the character of one of Goa’s smaller settlements.
The residents’ latest objection follows years of opposition to the highway expansion. Villagers fear that widening the road could lead to the demolition of temples that they describe as central to Bhoma’s social and cultural life. The road through the village is an important link between Ponda taluka and the state capital, and is now set for widening.
Villager Sanjay Naik said residents became aware of the proposed land conversions after seeing a notification. According to Naik, a woman had applied to change the zoning of village land from sloppy non-developmental land to a settlement zone. The application has become part of the wider concern over how land-use changes could affect the village while the highway project remains under discussion.
The villagers also alleged that 36 plots had been subdivided on village land. Naik further alleged that some people had created plots on land acquired by the Public Works Department and applied to convert them into a settlement zone. He questioned why land belonging to the PWD in the village would be used for such development while private land was being sought for the proposed highway widening.
The land-use dispute places the panchayat at the centre of an issue involving local planning decisions, public infrastructure and private property. The villagers have asked the local body to oppose the conversions, while the sarpanch said the panchayat supports the residents and will discuss the matter at its meeting.
With a population of around 3,000, Bhoma is among Goa’s smallest villages. Residents say the highway project could affect the settlement’s existing pattern of life, particularly as a significant portion of the surrounding area has already been occupied by industrial units at Kundaim.
The villagers have warned that they may take their protest to the streets if the government does not stop the land conversions. The immediate next step is the panchayat’s discussion of the issue and its position on the notified conversion proposals.
