MAPUSA
The Saligao panchayat on Monday conducted a site inspection of the controversial residential housing project following directions from the Block Development Officer (BDO), even as several villagers protested after being denied entry to the project site.
The inspection, scheduled for 11 am, started only after noon, causing some residents who had gathered at the site from around 10.30 am to leave without witnessing the proceedings.
Those present during the inspection included project proponents Arun Choudhary and Harish Arora, Sarpanch Lucas Remedios, Panchayat Secretary Jitendra Naik, the complainants, and Saligao Church Parish Priest Fr Diniz Fernandes and Assistant Parish Priest Fr Valencio Fernandes.
However, several villagers who had gathered to observe the inspection were stopped from entering the property, leading to anger among residents.
Sources said the panchayat secretary initially waited for police personnel to arrive before starting the inspection, apparently due to concerns over a possible tense situation. However, after repeated requests from villagers, the inspection began without waiting for additional police presence.
During the inspection, Naik measured the width of the access road and checked various aspects of the project against the approved plans. The findings were recorded in a site inspection report and supporting site plan, which will now be submitted to the BDO for further action. The inspection was conducted after the BDO stayed the panchayat’s earlier stop-work notice issued to the developers and directed the village panchayat to carry out a joint site inspection before taking a final decision.
After the inspection, complainant Liberata Madeira alleged that government authorities had shown bias while handling the dispute. “When villagers submitted a complaint against the project on June 5, no authority took prompt action. But when the project owners challenged the stop-work notice, the BDO conducted a hearing within 24 hours. This clearly shows bias by government departments and officials,” Madeira alleged.
She said the villagers would wait for the inspection report but insisted that all objections raised by the community must be properly examined before any further decision is taken on the project.
