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VASCO
The delay in handover the new Cortalim market complex which was inaugurated in January last has angered the panchayat body.
The Cortalim panchayat Sarpanch Angela Furtado along with Dy Sarpanch Raymond De Sa and other panch members addressed a news conference on Wednesday claiming that GSIDC had inaugurated the project without a valid occupancy certificate and that GSIDC had now applied for the renewal of the occupancy with the panchayat.
The Cortalim panchayat also said that the project work was launched on the panchayat property in 2013 and was to be completed and handed over to the panchayat in a year’s time but was not handed over till date causing a lot of inconveniences to the fisherwomen who were temporarily shifted to another location till the project could be completed.
The panchayat has said that they have been paying rent for the place where the fish vendors have been shifted besides also paying the rent of the post office and police outpost which were to be housed in the new market complex and hence a lot of panchayat funds was being spent on rent charges while the ready to use new Cortalim market complex was not yet handed over to them.
The Sarpanch Angela Furtado said that the local fisherfolks had begun agitating and visiting the panchayat on a daily basis to enquire when they would be shifted to the new market complex.
“This market was proposed a long time ago and inaugurated some month ago but it is not yet handed over. During our last visit to the GSIDC, we were informed that the market complex would be handed over to the Director of Panchayat but nothing has happened on this front. We request the authorities to handover the project soon so that the fisherfolks could be shifted before monsoons as the present place does not have any facilities,” said Furtado.
Dy Sarpanch Raymond De Sa said that it was shocking that even before the complex is given occupancy the situation of complex is entering into ruins and there is no renewal of construction licence for last two years.
“The complex was being made ready and we were promised completion within one year. For the benefit of village, panchayat rented place of Cortalim Church on monthly rentals and had shifted the vendors. The rent which began at Rs 6,000 has now become Rs 20,000. The entire rent amount has accumulated to Rs 8 lakh and is a waste of public money. The panchayat funds have depleted as the planning was to rent out Church property for one year has now dragged on for six years due to delay by GSIDC,” said De Sa.
CZMP explanation at gram sabha: p’yat
VASCO: Cortalim panchayat has resolved to hold a gram sabha to explain the details of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) and has also appointed a panchayat advocate for the gram sabha meeting.
Cortalim Panchayat Dy Sarpanch Raymond De Sa has appealed to the GCZMA to provide their representative for the special gram sabha meeting to explain the map in details to the villagers.
“There are objections as the plan does not reflect the proper position of surface and has omitted to indicate various existing structures and or their existing infrastructure available. There is necessity for the CRZ officials to visit the local panchayat office and participate in gram panchayat meeting to explain the implication of the said plan to locals who are in complete darkness.”
