Inaction on hill cutting irks Mangueshi locals
Sarpanch says verification report sent to TCP and Forest dept
THE GOAN NETWORK
PONDA
Locals from Mangueshi and Mardol on Sunday morning gathered at the Ponda Police station to demand legal action against the developer allegedly involved in developing plots along the bypass road at Mangueshi.
Though the Ponda deputy town planner had ordered to verify the facts in the controversial development of plots along the bypass road at Mangueshi, in the jurisdiction of Veling-Priol-Cuncolim Panchayat, the developer has not stopped the activities.
Speaking to The Goan, Ramkrishna Jalmi, a local from Mangueshi, said despite the authorities knowing that hills are cut for developing plots by violating all the laws in force, nobody is taking action against them.
“The deputy town planner had ordered to stop the illegal plot development, but so far nobody has taken action. Hence, we requested the police to intervene in the matter,” Jalmi said.
Jalmi said the developer has developed the area and demarcated the plots without taking prior permissions.
Sources informed that the Town and Country Planning office from Ponda had sent a letter to the panchayat on February 17, asking to verify the facts over allegations made by the locals.
When contacted, Sarpanch Damodar Naik said verification report has been sent to TCP and also to the Forest department in this regard. “We have sent the verification report to both the offices concerned,” Naik said.
According to the locals, huge trees were cut by the developer, but a source from the Forest department said the developer has only levelled the area and there were no such huge trees to cut.
The locals informed that many people have purchased plots in the area, which is behind the petrol pump along the bypass and are supposed to execute sale deeds.
