Hundreds of protesters in Goa marched to Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane's residence on Monday, demanding the scrapping of Section 39A of the TCP Act, which allows land-use changes. The action followed a sit-in by villagers and a hunger strike by MLA Viresh Borkar. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant urged protesters to use proper channels instead of targeting the minister's home.
On Monday, February 24, 2026, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the residence of Goa Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane in Dona Paula near Panaji. They demanded the repeal of Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, a provision notified in 2024 that enables the chief town planner to modify regional and outline development plans for land zoning changes, including 'spot zoning' based on individual applications with a 30-day public objection period.
The protest stemmed from concerns over land conversions in Palem-Siridao village in North Goa's St Andre Assembly constituency. Villagers alleged that over 84,000 square metres of land, including hill slopes, orchards, and no-development zones, had been reclassified as settlement zones under this section, allowing construction. This followed a sit-in at the TCP Department office on Saturday, where protesters, including St Andre MLA and Revolutionary Goans Party leader Viresh Borkar, demanded revocation of these approvals.
Borkar, who began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Panaji on Saturday, claimed he was evicted and 'dragged' out by police during the sit-in. He told The Indian Express: 'Under this section, rampant land conversions are being allowed…this will destroy entire villages across Goa. We are demanding that this section be scrapped. Till this demand is fulfilled, I will continue my hunger strike.'
Organized as a 'Karo ya Maro andolan' by opposition parties, the group marched from Azad Maidan to Rane's house despite police barricades for law and order reasons. After a few hours, protesters returned to Azad Maidan due to Borkar's deteriorating health, as stated by Congress Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant responded by appealing for protests within limits and at appropriate forums, such as Azad Maidan or through representations to the Collector. He called the march to the minister's house 'improper,' citing privacy concerns and noting that the matter is before the court. On the alleged manhandling, Sawant said police had requested the group to vacate the office for 12 hours, emphasizing safety and the lack of permissions for the sit-in.
