Thursday 28 Mar 2024

Villagers put their foot down, say Velsao hotel project not acceptable

Demand revocation of all permissions given to it, seek action against TCP and GCZMA

the goan I network | JUNE 04, 2018, 01:38 AM IST

VASCO   

The gram sabha of Velsao Pale Issorcim panchayat witnessed frayed tempers as a large number of villagers were present to oppose the decision of the panchayat to issue a construction licence to a hotel project at Velsao. Villagers demanded immediate revocation of the licence issued and stop the work of the proposed hotel at Velsao. 

Meanwhile, Goencho Ramponkarancho Ekvott ( GRE ) demanded action against the secretary of the panchayat and TCP officials for approving the project on the basis of invalid and expired approvals. A huge police force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident during the gram sabha.   

The gram sabha unanimously resolved that the construction license No. VP/VP/2017-2018/16 dated 31/03/2018 issued by the panchayat to the project proponent is blatantly illegal and demanded issuance of a show-cause notice and stop-work order immediately as per the law in force.

Gram sabha members said that the Regional Plan 2021 showed part of the project area as orchard and therefore the construction license and the technical clearance order are both in gross and blatant violation of the circular issued by the Chief Town Planner on 04/06/2012. 

The members also said that the technical clearance order was issued based on clearance/NOCs issued by Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority approved in 2006. They maintained that the environment clearance was also granted by Ministry of Environment and Forest in 2006 and the same was valid for a period of five years. Therefore, all the permissions granted thereafter on the basis of the CRZ clearance and environment clearance, including the construction license, are null and void, they added.

The gram sabha resolved that the RP 2021 shows that parts of the proposed project area are well within the 200 metres No Development Zone of CRZ Notification 2011 and is therefore completely illegal. Besides this it was noted that the project site includes sand dunes (CRZ-I) and water bodies and hence the project is in violation of CRZ-I regulations and the conditions imposed in the permissions granted by other authorities not to interfere with water bodies. 

It was also resolved that the CZMP for Goa is not yet prepared and therefore the proposed project cannot be allowed, as stated by the NGT. 

“Secondly, if this project is in an area used heavily by traditional fishermen it could not be permissible. The TCP department has issued the technical clearance, the same is in  gross violation of the circulars and orders of the CTP and the High Court order that assert the required road width should exist on the site at the time of the grant of the technical clearance,” the meet noted. 

Villagers pointed out that though the project proponent has falsely stated in his application that the access to the project is a 10-metre wide road, the existing road on the site is less than 6 metres in width which makes 

the technical clearance null and void. 

The gram sabha resolved that in addition to taking legal steps to revoke the construction license and to stop the illegal construction work as soon as possible, the sarpanch should write to the CTP and Chairman of GCZMA, with a copy to the Chief Secretary, requesting them to declare the technical clearance and CRZ clearance as expired.

The gram sabha called in its resolution has called for strict disciplinary action against the Town Planner and the Member Secretary of GCZMA for the grant of the illegal technical clearance order for concealing the provisions of the CRZ Notification 1994 and 2006 restricting the validity of CRZ Clearances to five years.

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