the goan I network
PANAJI
Town and Country Planning Minister, Vijai Sardesai on Monday made a case for setting up an enforcement wing for the TCP department to pre-empt developers and builders from bypassing approved plans and erecting constructions which violate of licencing conditions.
Replying to queries during Question Hour, Sardesai said as of now, TCP department did not have powers to act in cases where projects are tweaked to diverge from the approved plans and can only take action at the time of granting completion certificates for the issuance of Occupancy.
He nevertheless assured the House that if found necessary, an ‘enforcement wing’ to check illegalities, could be considered.
Sardesai was responding to queries tabled by Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte and Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa on TCP clearances granted to several projects in their respective constituencies.
Both Sopte and D’Sa had raised questions that TCP clearances granted were in contravention of the ground realities.
D’Sa claimed that one particular project with some 45 flats coming up in his constituency was given permission on the basis of a 6-metre road existing for access to the site.
“There is no 6-metre road. There is only a 3-metre road,” D’Sa claimed.
Sardesai however, clarified that the TCP department claims a 6-metre road “exists” but added that he would hold a joint inspection soon to set the record straight, instigating Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral to raise questions about how TCP officials were providing ‘claims’ as answers to questions in the House.
“If there is a 3-metre road as the MLA claims and the TCP officials has provided information that it’s six-metres wide, then it’s a serious lapse,” Cabral said, urging the minister to pull up the officials. Sardesai however said that a joint inspection of the site will be done soon and the record set right. He also said that the project in question has passed the test of the High Court, but he would still hold and inspection to verify the allegations.
