- Chief Secretary, who is also the Secretary, Town Planning, has sent the file pertaining to Raheja project back to the Chief Town Planner to seek certain clarifications regarding the road access to the property
- However, as the matter falls within the domain of the Margao TCP office, the file will be dispatched to the Margao office
Chief Secretary is believed to have inquired about the status of the road access, especially in the light of complaints by the villagers on the narrow road access to the property
- PWD will now be specifically asked to state whether the department has acquired land for the road access, and whether the department will go for widening to make the road motorable as per width
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The narrow road access to the property of Mumbai-based real estate developer, M/s Raheja Universal Pvt Ltd in Carmona village “ which has been a bone of contention between the agitating villagers and the local village panchayat since day one -- has returned to haunt the Town and Country Planning (TCP) authorities yet again.
The Chief Secretary, who is also the Secretary, Town Planning, has sent the file pertaining to Raheja project back to the office of the Chief Town Planner to seek certain clarifications regarding the road access leading to the property. Chief Town Planner, C Puttaraju, told The Goan that the file has indeed come back to his office with a brief to seek clarity on certain aspects, including the road access to the Raheja property at Carmona village.
“Since the matter falls within the domain of the Margao TCP office, the file will be dispatched to the Margao office as per the noting of the CS seeking clarity on aspects connected to the project,” Puttaraju said.
The TCP Margao office, over a month and half ago, had forwarded a note to the Chief Town Planner with a proposal to direct the promoter of the project to keep the project on hold until the questions raised by the agitating villagers of Carmona were clarified by PWD and other authorities.
Sources in the know said the Chief Secretary is believed to have inquired about the status of the road access, especially in the light of complaints by the villagers on the narrow road access to the property.
Sources in the know said PWD will now be specifically asked to state whether the department has acquired the land for the road access and whether the department will go for widening to make the road motorable as per width.
What’s interesting to note is that the road access to the property had become a bone of contention between the agitating villagers and Carmona village panchayat ever since the Mumbai-based realtor had first mooted development of the property way back in 2007.
It may be recalled that then Principal Secretary, TCP, Perimal Rai, too had raised a similar query way back on March 5, 2014 over the road access to the Raheja property in view of the 88 number of bungalows proposed for construction. The TCP, however, had later granted technical clearance for the project by invoking the exemption clause provided in the building regulation though the road access was found narrow at a stretch of around 73 mts.
A glance at the TCP noting stated that though the average width of the road is shown as six metres, a small stretch of road was found narrow, far less than six metres.
“The width of the road in between compound walls on either side in this stretch narrows down to 4.20 mts at one spot, although the acquisition plan shows around a five-metre width on this stretch. However, the length of the said narrow stretch is just around 73 mt, and therefore falls under the exemption clause provided in the building regulations,” the TCP noting stated, while granting technical clearance for the project.
: “Before a view is taken, we need to get clarity on the road access. The property proposed is for 88 bungalows, a very high number for such a narrow road.”
: Is the proposal within the regulation? May get the clarification as above.
May send details of the approach road on a map. Can be considered only if the road is adequate.
