the goan I network
MARGAO
The Raheja housing project has come to haunt the village panchayat again as the Mumbai real estate developer submitted a revised site plan showing the traditional Cross and the drinking water well on the plan.
After the issue was discussed at the panchayat meeting on Saturday morning, Sarpanch Sandra Fernandes told The Goan that the panchayat has accepted the revised site plan and has given the developer the permission to construct the bungalows phase-wise. The Sarpanch, however, said the panchayat will stall the project in the event the High Court rules the construction licence issued by the panchayat body to the developer null and void.
The Raheja housing project figured at the panchayat meeting held on Saturday after the real estate developer submitted a revised site plan showing the Cross and the drinking water well located inside the property.
The submission of the revised plan assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the protests lodged by the local villagers that the site plan submitted by the developer made no mention of the Cross and the drinking water well.
Replying to a question, Sarpanch Sandra reminded that the panchayat had already issued the construction licence for Raheja Universal to build 88 bungalows, adding “what they submitted to the panchayat now is only the revised site plan”.
Given that the villagers had vehemently objected to the width of the narrow road leading to the Raheja property, the real estate developer has now agreed to a suggestion made by the government and the Town and Country Planning department to take up construction work only in phases. “The real estate developer has agreed to take up construction work of only around 20 bungalows a year,” Sandra said.
Referring to the petition filed in the High Court by a group of villagers, the Sarpanch pointed out that the panchayat would not hesitate to revoke the construction licence if any such direction is issued to the panchayat by the High Court.
Raheja’s controversial housing project had been hanging fire since the last one decade, with villagers opposing to the project on a host of grounds, including that of the road leading to the property is so narrow that two vehicles cannot pass on it.
