MARGAO
Decks seems to have been cleared for cutting of the land at Sao Jose de Areal village, even as the Sarpanch Joycee Dias cried foul over the manner in which the work had been cleared and how the panchayat body has been ignored by the authorities.
Work on the land cutting was stopped last week after the flying squad ordered the stop to the work while asking the party to submit the relevant documents. The party, sources said, received the go ahead signal after it produced the documents and permissions obtained from the TCP.
In fact, Deputy Collector, Pradeep Naik told the Areal sarpanch that the site in question was duly inspected by the flying squad team and reported that the owner of the property has obtained cutting of land permission from the TCP department.
Sarpanch Joycee along with Deputy Sarpanch Valente made their presence felt at the South Goa Collectorate for an audience with district Collector, Jyoti Kumari to draw her attention to the land cutting activity in the village.
While insisting that the party is allegedly involved in hill cutting, the sarpanch said the TCP has granted land cutting under Section 17-A of the TCP Act. The sarpanch and deputy sarpanch maintained that permission under section 17-A is to be granted by the Chief Town Planner under the TCP Act, adding that the permission under 17-A in the instant case has been signed by the Deputy Town Planner.
They also questioned how the permission was granted when there’s no land conversion sanad for the project.
Pointing out that the panchayats are being guided by the provisions of the Goa Panchayati Raj Act, the Sarpanch said none of the authorities have entered the panchayat body in its resolved to stop the alleged hill from being cut down. “We have consulted all the departments. The district Collector, South was the last option for. We have approached her, but she has only assured to find out from the concerned departments on the factual position,” Joycee said, fearing that damaged will be done to the land in question if there is no immediate intervention by the authorities.
