VASCO
Amid tense and heated discussions, the Sancoale Panchayat on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Parmesh Constructions Co Ltd, also known as Bhutani Infra, for its proposed mega project at Savarfond-Sancoale.
The panchayat directed the company to comply with all Planning and Development Authority (PDA) regulations, including the submission of required documents and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) within seven days.
The decision followed after heated discussions by ruling and opposition panchayat members and comments from locals and activists who were present during the meeting in the panchayat office.
The meeting, which lasted over two hours, saw the participation of local politicians and was marked by intense debates. A police team was required to maintain order and prevent any untoward incidents.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Opposition Panch Tulshidas Naik explained that the residents had demanded a show-cause notice from the panchayat, similar to the one issued earlier by the Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA).
Naik stated that the project was lacking several critical approvals, including permissions from a chartered surveyor for the slope, hill-cutting permissions under Section 17A from the Chief Town Planner, a PWD water supply NOC, and an NOC from the Flag Officer due to the project's proximity to the Navy’s flying zone.
“Additionally, the project reportedly did not meet the 10-metre road access requirement,” said Naik.
“We demanded that the issue of the show-cause notice be addressed first during the meeting. After much discussion and public outrage, the panchayat unanimously agreed to issue the notice and granted Bhutani Infra seven days to respond.”
“The project’s fate could be decided by this process, with the potential revocation of the construction licence if the required approvals are not obtained,” said Naik.
Naik acknowledged that the matter was sub judice, with a high court hearing involving Bhutani Infra currently underway.
He pointed out that previous approvals were granted based on conditional NOCs from the MPDA and Town and Country Planning (TCP) departments, despite objections from the opposition panch members.
Meanwhile, ruling Panch Darick Vales dismissed the allegations raised by activists and residents as baseless, stating that the panchayat had acted in the best interests of villagers.
“We are with the people, and all panchayat members have agreed to issue the show-cause notice. We have given Bhutani Infra seven days to provide the necessary documents. The claims made by certain activists against the panch members are without foundation,” said Vales.
