MMC Chairperson Girish Borker along with Chief officer Deepash Priolkar while convening a joint meeting with the Navy officials and stakeholders. Captured by : Vikram Nayak
VASCO
The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Tuesday gave the Navy one month to resolve issues pertaining to constructions in and around port town.
The MMC led by chairperson Girish Borker convened a crucial meeting with the Navy along with councillors and various stakeholders, including the builders association, affected by Naval NOCs for constructions.
Various issues were discussed during the meeting, including the delay in Naval NOCs that had led to a standstill of many construction files in the Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA). Other issues discussed in the meeting were application of house tax on various naval colonies in the MMC jurisdiction.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Cedric Dias of Prime Builders said the Navy had started putting restrictions under the Ministry of Defence guidelines.
"We don't agree with these restrictions because the guidelines say that in case other Acts are imposed on proposed projects, then such guidelines don't apply but the Navy is ignoring provisions of its own guidelines and denying the NOC to projects,” said Dias.
“We are not fighting with the Navy but desperately trying to make them understand that this is not correct on their part to harass the people as a central government organisation.”
“Then chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had issued a circular in 2012 starting that the Navy cannot enforce these guidelines.”
“The Navy has not been enforcing these guidelines between 2012 and 2020. Constructions have come around their establishments and how can it be that there is a security threat for new buildings but no threat to their old buildings? The Navy knows that they are in the wrong but we don't know why they are persisting on this issue." said Dias.
Dias said the stakeholders want the State Government to issues a directive to local planning authority to issue approvals and permissions to construction activity where the Navy does not show that the project proponents are in violation of Aircraft Act.
“Let the Navy go to court in case they have objection because we are very confident that the court will always support the law and not deny the citizens the benefit of the law," said Dias.
MMC Chairperson Girish Borker said besides the issue confronting builders, the MMC wanted to also discuss the implementation of house tax.
"We have given the Navy 30 days to come with solutions to resolve the issue of the people who cannot construct houses in Vasco and surrounding areas. We want that MMC must also get revenue through construction activity which has come to a standstill.”
“We also want house tax to be implemented to several units of the Navy in their residential colonies. We are now waiting for a period of 30 days to hear from the Naval side as well " said Borker.
