VASCO
Tension prevailed at Arossim village after several villagers gathered to stop the clearance work at a plot where a starred hotel is proposed.
Locals opposing proposed starred hotel at Arossim gathered at the project site after noticing a JCB mowing down trees in the plot.
Villagers alerted the forest department about the activity and a forest team rushed to the site and stopped the work. The forest department also attached the JCB.
Villagers claimed that the plot, where a starred hotel was being planned, was a biodiversity hotspot and they have been opposing the project since 2006.
Speaking to the media, social activist Olencio
Simoes said the land earlier belonged to one company which had in turn sold it to a hotel company.
“The new owners plan to clear the land and claim to have taken permission from the panchayat, but do not have papers to show here.”
“We want to warn the panchayat that if it goes ahead with the project, then the entire village will come on the road and it will be
responsible if there is any law and order problem,” warned Simoes.
Adv Rosh Rodrigues blamed the panchayat for granting permission to the promoters, when the approved file of construction licence was not present in the panchayat.
“That file is in the vigilance department, while a petition is in the NGT and hearings are going on. The panchayat is trying to give backdoor entry to the project in an attempt to frustrate the petition of villagers and NGT.”
“We have requested the project promoters to come for a dialogue to understand the background of the case and why the hotel is being opposed here,” said Rodrigues.
Cansaulim Civic Forum President Alvaro D Costa added: “The new promoters think they can go ahead with the construction, but that will not happen as villagers have already challenged the project in the NGT.”
