(File photo) The road leading to the Raheja project.
MARGAO
Notwithstanding the blame game over the Raheja project between the present and former government and the Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva and the former PWD minister Churchill Alemao, villagers' concerns in respect to the road leading to the property of the Mumbai-based real estate developer remains the same on the ground.
While the Raheja file had been shuttling between the office of the Margao senior town planner and the chief town planner and the TCP secretary and the TCP minister over the last couple of months, the question whether two four-wheelers will be able to cross the road at one time along the narrow 73-metre stretch of the road remains unaddressed.
If then Principal Secretary, TCP Perimal Rai had raised concern over the road width way back in March 2014, TCP officials admit that the concerns remain the same till date, especially in respect of the 73-metre stretch of the road. A glance at the TCP noting showed that Rai had clearly observed “before a view is taken, we need to get clarity on the road width. The property proposed is for 88 bungalows, a very high number for such a narrow road." The noting showed that a stretch of the road at a particular point was less than six metres.
While the then Principal Secretary, TCP had apparently raised his concern over the road width taking into account the ground reality, the political class, however, laid stress on the regulations, as evident by the noting of then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had in March 2014, sought clarification from the TCP, whether the Raheja proposal was within the regulations or not.
Incidentally, the TCP Margao office had raised the road width issue again when it submitted a detailed report to the CTP with a plea to ask the project proponent to keep the project construction on hold till the concerned departments, including the PWD, come clear on the road width and widening of the road in question. When The Goan called up Senior Town Planner, James Mathew to shed light on the project, he pointed out that his office has not received any further instructions from the head office on the project.
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Former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao addressing the media on the Raheja issue. Santosh Mirajkar
Churchill, Caitu spar over bribery allegations
MARGAO: A day after Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva levelled bribery allegations against former PWD minister Churchill Alemao while approving the Raheja housing project at Carmona, Churchill hit back at the Benaulim MLA on Friday, demanding to know why the MLA remained silent when his BJP-led government approved the project in 2015.
Addressing the media, the former PWD minister demanded to know whether Caitu had accepted any bribe to keep his mouth shut when the BJP granted approval for the project last year. “Will Caitu tell the people of Carmona in particular and Benaulim constituency in general, why he did not raise a banner of protest when the government gave the technical sanction for the Raheja project," Churchill asked, while saying that the Benaulim MLA started opposing the project only after Carmona villagers went to his residence demanding his stand on the controversial project.
“Let Caitu tell the people whether the government supported by him is ruling the State or not. If yes, then why did he never opposed the technical clearance granted by the TCP for the project," Churchill further asked.
When the media drew attention of Churchill that he had issued a note during his stint as PWD minister proposing to acquire land for a 10-metre wide road leading to the property, he shot back saying, “I must have issued a note on the basis of the representation made by former sarpanch, but the proposal was never to acquire road for the Rahejas."
New Carmona Sarpanch with the villagers.
New sarpanch push ball in TCP court
MARGAO: Carmona village got a new sarpanch on Friday. The new sarpanch Sandra Martins, however, pushed the ball in the court of the Town and Country Planning department in respect of any action to be initiated against the Raheja housing project.
In fact, Sandra told The Goan that the panchayat will go by the laid down rules and will revoke the construction licence granted to Ms Raheja Universal only if the Town and Country Planning department revokes the technical clearance granted for the project. “My stand on the Raheja project remains the same. The panchayat had granted the construction licence for the project based on the technical clearance given by the TCP. If tomorrow, the TCP revokes the technical clearance for the project, the panchayat will move to revoke the construction licence," she said.
When her attention was drawn to the ground reality vis-Ã -vis the narrow road width on the 73-metre stretch leading to the Raheja project, Sandra asserted, “The panchayat had gone by the technical clearances granted by the TCP. I have nothing more to say on the road width since the approval had come from the TCP."
