PANAJI
The villagers of Ecoxim-Pomburpa have opposed an ‘offer’ made by designer Tarun Tahilani to restrict his bungalow construction work to within the settlement zone of his plot “in order to give a quietus to this matter”.
Speaking to the media outside the Bombay High Court, Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, who represented the villagers, said that they would continue to press for the quashing of the permissions issued to the project in violation of the Regional Plan 2021.
In the affidavit in reply filed by Tarun Tahiliani, it was contended that “in order to give a quietus to this matter, on the instructions of the Respondent No. 1 (Tarun Tahilani), without prejudice to his rights, contentions, benefit enduring by operation of law and/ or subsequent change of zoning, the Respondent No. 1 solemnly states that [he] shall restrict the development undertaken in the property bearing Survey No. 292/1-L-7 only within the portion which is zoned as ‘Settlement Zone’ under the Regional Plan 2021”.
“We have filed an affidavit in rejoinder that we are not happy with this statement that all the permissions that have been given need to be quashed and he should restore (the land) and needs to be fined. When we filed a petition, we saw that he was given technical clearance, construction licence and forest clearance outside the settlement zone in orchard land and in no development slopes. We filed a petition to have it quashed and set aside,” Adv Ferreira said.
Villagers have been up in arms against the project and the local village panchayat had earlier issued a stop work order to the project, which was later revoked by the village panchayat leading to further protests against the project.
The notice by the village panchayat stated that the approved plan shows a built up area of 2,490 square metres on the plot, but the plot itself has a zoning of only 1,070 sq metres as “settlement”.
“If the settlement zone is 1070 sq mts and coverage are permissible is 40% (as shown by the project proponent in the approved plan, then 40% of 1070 sq mts works out to 428 sq mts. The permission granted is prima facie for an area far in excess of the 428 sq mts,” the notice had alleged.
