MARGAO
Sao Joe de Areal villagers on Tuesday demanded that the Town and Country Planning department revoke the permissions for the alleged hill-cutting in the village.
They further demanded that the land in question should be used for a hospital project as per the 2009 plan, asserting that the villagers will never allow any further land-cutting or development on the property in question.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva along with Areal sarpanch Joycee Dias, deputy sarpanch Valente Fernandes, ward member Gabriel Hilario, and villagers including activist Freddy Travasso assembled near the site to oppose in one voice the alleged hill-cutting.
The Velim MLA pointed out that he has come to the site for the second time to see whether the owner or the land developer will produce all the permission for the alleged hill-cutting.
“We are waiting for the land developer to produce the permissions obtained from then TCP and other authorities,” Cruz said.
He took strong objection to the fact that the panchayat has been ignored by the departments as well as by the land developer before commencing the work.
“I am with the villagers of Areal. Whatever decision they take will be binding on me,” he said.
Sarpanch Joycee alleged that while the land developer has been granted permission for land-cutting, the hill has been cut down at the site.
“Our plea to the concerned departments has not received positive results to date. Hence, the villagers have decided to come out and protest against the alleged hill cutting,” she said.
Activist Freddy Travasso demanded that TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane take cognizance of the agitation by the Areal villagers and revoke the permission granted for the hill-cutting.
“We the villagers demand that the TCP revoke the permissions granted to the land developer forthwith. The land in question should be either used to set up a hospital as per the 2009 plan, or the villagers will not allow any other development at the site,” he warned while demanding TCP Minister's intervention in the matter.
