Carmona is on the boil once again. Against the backdrop of the Raheja mega housing project haunting the villagers, there is another project of a spa and resort in a residential complex at Olwaddo ward in Carmona which has triggered a clash of sorts with villagers threatening to come to the streets if the licence is renewed. The concerns are similar. Villagers were fighting against the Rahejas because access road rules have been flouted and pressure on the village infra was not taken into account. In the case of this resort, villagers have similar concerns. The approach road is around 2.5 to 3 metres when the requirement is 10 metres and the residential environment has been disturbed.
Villagers have been facing severe hardships in view of the narrow road. Going by the width of the road, it is but obvious that two four-wheelers cannot cross each other without trespassing into private properties along the path. There are other issues like tourists walking semi-nude right in the midst of private family residences. Then there are our desi tourists relieving themselves on the road-side compounds of nearby houses. We can't let the touristy environment affect the lives of our children and families. There are around 15 houses in the vicinity and regular movement of 40-seater coaches has brought nightmares to the residents and their children who frequent the narrow road. They find their movement around their residences restricted and the tranquillity disturbed with the movement of people and buses which starts from 6.30 in the morning.
Even as the licence expires on October 27, a proper inquiry needs to be conducted into the legalities of issuing the trade licence for the project and the grant of occupancy certificate. The previous sarpanch and the members need to be questioned on how an NOC was granted for a guest house when the occupancy certificate was issued for a residential complex. There is no way access to the project could be overlooked. When there is a mismatch on the documents and the project on the ground, all those connected to the project need to be probed.
For the current body of the Carmona panchayat, this is an acid test. They have been elected by the villagers purely on the premise that they will work in the interest of the village. Fighting Raheja was one of their poll promises. If that was too little too late in case of the Raheja issue, the resort case is in waiting. They now have to take the village sentiments into consideration and get cracking. The resort issue is an eye opener where rules have been openly flouted to accommodate a project and ground realities have not been looked into.
Villagers have been facing severe hardships in view of the narrow road. Going by the width of the road, it is but obvious that two four-wheelers cannot cross each other without trespassing into private properties along the path. There are other issues like tourists walking semi-nude right in the midst of private family residences. Then there are our desi tourists relieving themselves on the road-side compounds of nearby houses. We can't let the touristy environment affect the lives of our children and families. There are around 15 houses in the vicinity and regular movement of 40-seater coaches has brought nightmares to the residents and their children who frequent the narrow road. They find their movement around their residences restricted and the tranquillity disturbed with the movement of people and buses which starts from 6.30 in the morning.
Even as the licence expires on October 27, a proper inquiry needs to be conducted into the legalities of issuing the trade licence for the project and the grant of occupancy certificate. The previous sarpanch and the members need to be questioned on how an NOC was granted for a guest house when the occupancy certificate was issued for a residential complex. There is no way access to the project could be overlooked. When there is a mismatch on the documents and the project on the ground, all those connected to the project need to be probed.
For the current body of the Carmona panchayat, this is an acid test. They have been elected by the villagers purely on the premise that they will work in the interest of the village. Fighting Raheja was one of their poll promises. If that was too little too late in case of the Raheja issue, the resort case is in waiting. They now have to take the village sentiments into consideration and get cracking. The resort issue is an eye opener where rules have been openly flouted to accommodate a project and ground realities have not been looked into.
