Panaji (Goa)  Goa government has decided to crackdown on the land owners who are illegally converting their orchard land into settlement illegally without proper permission from State Town and Country Planning department.

State Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai after chairing the high level meeting on Friday had decided to initiate action against such conversions, which are done without prior permissions.

“The government will file First Information Report (FIR) against the land owners and the project developers, if they are found to have illegally using the orchard land for conversion,” Sardesai said.

He said the first FIR is already filed against a landowner at Poriem village in Sattari taluka.

Sardesai said several such cases are being brought to light in cases of Poriem, Valpoi in Sattari taluka, Nagoa-Verna in Mormugao Taluka and Curtorim in Salcette taluak and Canacona village in Canacona taluka.

The department has began initiating action under section 49 of Town and Country Planning Act which mandates  Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) to issue NOC for sale of land in city areas.

Sardesai said that the department has began studying the cases across the State where such illegal constructions have come up in orchard lands.