MAPUSA
The famed carved-from-a-mountain sprawling residential house, which once belonged to late entrepreneur Jimmy Gazdar, at Aguada has come under a scanner for alleged reconstruction work being carried out in the property by cocking a snook at the laws of the land.
The plot where the residence exists has a slope of more than 60 per cent and it falls under the No Development Zone (NDZ).
The Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) has alleged that hectic construction activities have been going on in the area since the last three months while the authorities seemed to be turning a blind eye to the alleged illegal works.
In a letter to the Collector North, Member Secretary of GCZMA and other authorities, the CCF said that the construction in the area can be granted only to traditional community as defined in a High Court ruling and which is now part of CRZ notification.
Secondly, the original survey plan of survey no 88 where the residential house exists does not show any existing plinth, the forum observed.
Interestingly, the Candolim panchayat in a RTI application informed that it has not issued construction licence to Redd Villas & Resort Pvt Ltd which is allegedly carrying out the construction in Survey No 88 at Sinquerim, Candolim.
Interestingly, the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) had rejected the reconstruction proposal of the residential house when it was placed before the Authority in its meeting held on February 2, 2016.
According to the NGPDA the project was in total violation of prevailing rules and regulations.
“The proposed bungalow if approved will definitely be of ecological disorder since the structure has many elevations which will evolve huge cutting. The area also falls in no development zone,” the NGPDA members observed and unanimously decided to reject the proposal so that the existing terrain of the area was maintained as it is.
Besides Calangute MLA Michael Lobo who was then the chairman of NGPDA, then Panaji MLA Sidharth Kunkalienkar, Taleigao MLA Jeniffer Monserrate, then Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal Council Sandeep Falari besides three others had participated in the meeting. Town Planner R K Pandita was then the member secretary of the Authority.
According to some media reports the property belonging to the late Parsi businessman was bought over by the GVR group.
