the goan I network
MARGAO
The Town and Country Planning department has set in motion the hearing of the controversial Curtorim hotel project, with the hotel promoter Ms Ira Exotica insisting that many compound walls along the road to the project site have come up without
permission.
Given the situation, TCP official informed that the Curtorim panchayat will be directed to verify the claims made by the hotel promoter whether the compound walls have come up without the necessary permission from the local body.
The hearing conducted by Senior Town Planner James Mathew was attended by representatives of Ms Ira Exotica, Curtorim Sarpanch Rupesh Naik, Curtorkarancho Ekvott nominee Rupesh Shinkre, besides government officails.
Sources said the Curtorkarancho Ekvott has submitted an application to the inquiry officer with a plea to keep the NGO informed of the proceedings, as they reserved the right to be heard on
the issue.
During the hearing, sources said the hotel promoter insisted on the illegal nature of the compound walls, arguing that the road width to the project site has narrowed down because of the structures.
On this count, the senior Town Planner James Mathew is reported to have sought an explanation whether the promoter can claim an eight metre wide access just when the land in question has
not been acquired by the government.
The TCP had initially granted a provisional technical clearance for the hotel project on condition that the road leading to the site has to be acquired by the PWD before issuing completion certificate. The TCP, however, later revoked the technical clearance given for the project after the PWD maintained there's no plan to acquire land for he road leading to the project site.
The issue had figured prominently in the Goa Legislative Assembly when Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister during the last term, wherein the Chief Minister had also promised to revoke the technical clearance granted for the project.
