MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s move to acquire land admeasuring 15,165 at Khareband for public utility purpose without doing proper homework seems to have run into rough weather.
As it has turned out that while the Council had moved with alacrity to adopt a resolution to acquire the land in question, physical inspection of the land in question has revealed that a good chunk of the land actually falls within the CRZ area and only a small piece of land may be finally available for acquisition.
The Goan understands that Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes carried out a surprise inspection of the land in question two days after the civic body rushed in with a resolution to acquire the land, only to find that the river Sal passes by the side of the property.
How this important aspect escaped the attention of the OSD to the Margao Municipal Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai and a municipal engineer when they had inspected the land in question remains a mystery.
And, this situation has indeed raised many an eyebrow with the Shadow Council of Margao headed by former Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho demanding that the civic body come clear on the controversial proposal on grounds that the land in question was sought to be developed into small plots admeasuring 100 sq. mts just a year ago by parties, which are reportedly close to the powers that be. In fact, questions are doing the rounds in the corridors of the Civic body after the land owners realized that they cannot develop the property into plots given that the river Sal is passing alongside the property. Sources in the know said the Chief Officer’s inspection of the land proposed to be acquired or procured may save the Council or the state exchequer money running into crores of rupees on purchasing the property.
When The Goan contacted CO to shed light on the property in question sought to be acquired, he conceded that the river Sal is passing by the side of the land in question, adding that CRZ norms may hamper development of the property. He, however, hastened to add that considering the CRZ norms in force, only land admeasuring around 7000 out of the total 15,165 sq. mts may be finally available for development.
Incidentally, while the MMC Chairperson had proposed acquisition of the land in question, ward Councilor and ex-Municipal vice-Chairperson Doris Texeria claiming that she was not taken into confidence by the Council before the proposal for acquisition of the land came up for discussion at the council special meeting.
