A local is seen making a point during the gram sabha in Chimbel on Sunday.
PANAJI
At a Gram Sabha held on Sunday, Chimbel residents once again voiced strong opposition to two major government projects – the Prashasan Stambh (Administrative Building) and the Unity Mall proposed by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC).
This is the third time the Gram Sabha has raised objections to the Unity Mall project. Residents argued that the proposed site is a wetland area next to Chimbel lake, which is ecologically sensitive. They also pointed out that this is the same area where the government had earlier proposed an IT Park.
Govind Shirodkar, chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee, criticised the government for going ahead with the Unity Mall plan despite opposition in the last two Gram Sabhas. “This shows the government has no respect for Chimbel village or its people,” he said.
He added that villagers are also against the Prashasan Stambh project in Chimbel and have asked for it to be shifted to either Porvorim or Patto EDC.
Residents have now decided to organise a mass rally and public meetings to protest the projects and to protect Chimbel lake and its surroundings.
The GTDC has proposed to build the Unity Mall on 12,000 sq m of land in Chimbel at a cost of Rs 132 crore under the Central government’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. The mall will include outdoor exhibition areas, a children’s play area, an amphitheatre, and conference rooms. The plan is to sell products from all Indian states at the mall.
The Prashasan Stambh, expected to be Goa’s tallest building, will also be located in Chimbel. Earlier plans to build it in Panaji or Porvorim were dropped. About 25,000 sq m of land has been transferred from the IT Department to the General Administration Department for the project. The building is planned to be 75 metres tall, with 15 floors, and is expected to cost over Rs 300 crore.
