Residents confront BDO over Navelim housing project nod

MARGAO
Agitated residents of Dongorim-Navelim on Wednesday confronted Salcete Block Development Officer Adarsh Desai as they demanded immediate action against the Navelim Panchayat secretary for issuing a construction licence for a controversial housing project.
The residents, led by social activist Pratima Coutinho, claimed that the Panchayat secretary had issued the licence during the lunch break after issuing a receipt. While demanding that the licence be quashed and set aside, the BDO said the Navelim Panchayat should file an application for the revocation of the licence and seek action against the Panchayat secretary.
Heated arguments broke out between members of the delegation and the BDO as they claimed that the Panchayat secretary had issued the licence under political pressure from the government. They pointed out that the construction licence had been issued without a decision by the Panchayat body and demanded action.
Later, while briefing the media, Coutinho said that when the residents approached Navelim sarpanch Paul Pereira to find out the status of the application for the construction licence, the latter told them that the Panchayat secretary had named Panchayat authorities as having pressured him to issue the licence.
“The Panchayat secretary had earlier issued a licence for a project at Ratawaddo, and now he has done it again at Dongorim. The road leading to the project is less than six metres wide, and the builders have shown the amalgamation of the plots when flat owners have objected to the amalgamation. The area is also facing water and power issues,” she added.
Demanding the sacking and termination of the Panchayat secretary, Coutinho said she suspected a group of BJP leaders was behind the decision to issue the construction licence.
The residents have warned that the people of Navelim will hit the streets if the construction licence issued to the builder is not revoked immediately.