Say Parrikar had scrapped project at Panzorconne
Cuncolkars from the areas of Panzorconne, Poitomado and Comba central objected to the revival of the scrapped Housing Board project at Charam Moddi, Panzorcone.
MARGAO
Cuncolkars have vowed to oppose the Housing Board colony at Charam moddi, Panzorconne tooth and nail, reminding the ruling dispensation that former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar had scrapped the project after being convinced that the project would have a serious impact on the peaceful, social and cultural fabric of the village.
A group of protesters from the areas of Panzorconne, Poitomaddo and Comba Central demanded to know how the government had revived the housing board colony when the Manohar Parrikar government and later the Congress government had scrapped the controversial project around two decades ago.
They wondered how come the Goa Housing Board owns the land when then government had transferred the government-acquired land admeasuring 1.26 lakh square metres to the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA).
Bureaucrat-turned-politician and former Goa Housing Board managing director Elvis Gomes said opposition to the housing board colony underscored the need to protect the land, heritage, and way of life, with a plea to the government to hear the voices of the common man.
“We have assembled today to send across a message that the people had been opposing the housing board project since 1994. The project was stopped by then CM late Manohar Parrikar after the site was inspected by former Minister late Matanhy Saldanha. We will not accept the housing board project come what may. We will go to any level to stop the project”, he warned.
Elvis said a delegation of Cuncolkars would soon call on the Chief Minister with a plea to scrap the project. When the media drew his attention that the Goa Housing Board is going ahead with the allotment of plots as per the High Court directions, he said “right now we have no idea about the court’s directions. If there are directions, the same will be challenged. We will study the court order, if any, and move forward accordingly”.
Senior Congress leader Altinho Gomes recalled how the police had arrested him and former MLA Joaquim Alemao when then Housing Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar had tried to bulldoze the project. Saying he fails to understand how the housing board project has been revived again when GSUDA had taken over the project by making a payment of Rs five crore, Altinho further recalled that the project was scrapped by former CM late Manohar Parrikar. “We will try and find out who was the officer responsible for not transferring the land to GSUDA despite the later making the payments to the Goa Housing Board”, he said, adding that a delegation of people will call on Cuncolim MLA and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao to take up the issue with the government.
“Our demand is to return the acquired land to the original owners. If not, the government should set up a public utility project at the acquired land, preferably an education hub for the local schools”, he added.
Georgina Gama, Wendy Gomes and others also addressing the media as they decided to intensify the agitation if the government does not scrap the housing board colony project at the site.
