MARGAO
Bowing to the sustained pressure from the farmers and citizens, the Curtorim village panchayat on Thursday has revoked the permission to the housing project on the banks of the Maina lake.
At the Panchayat meeting chaired on Thursday by Sarpanch Caetano Hilario, the panchayat body decided to revoke the permission granted to the housing project. The Panchayat decision comes just days after the farmer and Curtorim villagers took out a morcha to the panchayat body where the meeting of the Panchayat was underway and demanded revocation of the permisoisn.
Sarpanch Hilario told The Goan after the meeting that the Panchayat meeting held on Thursday has revoked the permission granted for the housing project on the banks of the Maina lake. He said the decision of the panchayat will now be communicated to the party which had applied for the permission to set the villas, a swimming pool and a club house. ‘The Panchayat had earlier taken the decision to grant permission to the project after the same was approved by the TCP. Since the farmers and villagers have now opposed the project, the Panchayat has decided to revoke the permission”, he said.
Former Sarpanch and Panch member Milagres Rodrigues told The Goan after the meeting that the Panchayat members have called upon the Sarpanch at the body meeting held on Thursday that the Panchayat should place all such controversial and mega housing projects before the public in the future for discussions.
“It is in the fitness of things that such controversial and mega housing projects are placed in public domain so that the local populace are kept in the loop to know their say. We do don’t people to take to the streets to agitate against such projects. It’s better that the people are taken into confidence before the permissions are granted for the big projects”, Milagres said.
Farmers from Maina Curtorim had objected to the project since it was coming up very close to the maina lake/Solbem tollem, fearing the sewage and chlorine water will be drained into the lake, polluting the water body.
The farmers have further contended that the Maina lake plays host to the rich biodiversity including species such as Crabs, (Hatra kulli), Snails (Konge), Tortoise (Tupe Kasod), Frogs and Sweet water fish which is in high demand, as the lake fish is harvested once in a year.
