Resumption of construction activity by a company in an alleged no development zone dominated the gram sabha of the village Panchayat of Cavelossim on Sunday.
The meeting chaired by Sarpanch Viola D’Costa was questioned by the members over the action initiated by the Panchayat body against the activity when the matter pertaining to the project is pending before the National Green Tribunal.
Gram sabha member Irish Passainha wondered how the construction has resumed in the no development zone without any permissions from the Panchayat body and other authorities. Irish and panch member Edwin Barretto were engaged in heated arguments during discussions on the subject.
At one stage Edwin said that Irish will be held responsible if the court initiates action against residential houses in the village. When Irish sought to know whether the former Sarpanch is supporting the illegal construction, Edwin replied back that he had issue house numbers of many houses of local people during his tenure.
Sarpanch Viola assured the gram sabha members that the Panchayat will ask its lawyer to draw attention of the court on the resumption of construction activity at the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, gram sabha members demanded to know from the chair on the fate of the proposal to open access to the beach by the five starred hotels. They pointed out that though the question was being raised at successive gram sabhas, no action has been forthcoming from the Panchayat body.
The chair told the members that the Panchayat had petitioned to the district Collector to hold demarcation of the beach access left by the hotels so that the PWD construct the road leading to the beach.
