MARGAO
Firmly opposing sub-division of land for plots in a huge piece of land in the village, the Sao Jose de Areal gram sabha on Sunday adopted a resolution to pursue acquisition of the land in question for the construction of sports academy and cultural facilities for the residents of the village while ensuring that the land is used for agricultural purposes in the meanwhile, or in the alternative.
The gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Miguel Gomes also adopted a host of resolutions, demanding revocation of all permissions/construction licenses/NOCs/approvals granted for the construction of compound wall and/or for sub-division of the land in question and refrain from giving any further permissions for construction or development of this land.
It has been further resolved to write to the TCP Department and the district Collector to revoke all permissions granted for construction/development/change in land use in the piece of land, including the Technical Clearance given for the Construction of Compound Wall, NOC granted for conversion of the land and the provisional NOC granted for the sub-division of plots and to write to the Chief Town Planner, TCP Department to rectify the zoning of the land in question to partly industrial zone (in the area where the existing shed is located) and agricultural zone in all other areas.
Members pointed out that the land in question is shown as partly industrial and partly settlement zone in RP 2021. “The RP 2001 showed this entire land as industrial zone. A large part of this land has been changed to settlement zone without any requirement being indicated by the Village Panchayat in the draft RP 2021 submitted by the Panchayat to TCP Department in 2009 or thereabouts. RTI replies from TCP Department reveal that this change in zone has been done without any request, application or requirement. There is also no record of the reasoning or the decision-making process for this change in zone as per TCP Department, implying that this change in zone is illegal ab initio”, members said, while reminding the subject land was proposed to be the first legitimate playground for the village, but which never materialized till date.
In another resolution, the gram sabha has resolved to revoke all permissions/construction licenses/NOCs/approvals granted for the sub-division of land, changes in land use and multi-housing constructions in Sao Jose De Areal village and refrain from granting any such permissions/construction licenses/NOCs/approvals for construction or development
The resolution stated that no land use change shall be allowed in the village for the next 10 years, except for individual houses for local residents and indigent citizens, and for schools, hospitals, markets, jogging parks and playgrounds for locals, which are all completely absent in our village.
Members argued that Areal village has been suffering intensely from unplanned changes in use of land, which now reflect in the destruction, pollution and unsustainable changes in land use seen across the village. “Large, polluting industrial estates that have grabbed rich agricultural lands and displaced indigenous communities; huge illegal stone quarries that have destroyed entire hills leaving behind huge holes, cliffs and dangerous, inhospitable terrains; numerous polluting stone crusher units; massive real estate speculation ranging from sub-division of plots to construction of large buildings and multiple linear infrastructure projects have torn apart the socio-economic fabric and environment of the village. The unsustainable nature of the past destructive land use changes, especially short-term profit driven real estate speculations and sub-division of plots, can be seen in the acute, chronic and worsening problems faced by the village’, members pointed out.
