Stop work to be issued till inspection is conducted
MAPUSA
Assuring to take action against all those involved in illegal hill cutting and land filling in the State, Town and Country Planning Minister, Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday told the Goa Legislative Assembly that the TCP department will conduct another inspection over the Cuncolim hill cutting issue and till then a stop work order will be issued at the site.
Rane also said that his department has received complaints of hill cutting from various parts of the State and the government would definitely take action against those who violate the law of land.
He said after receiving complaints against hill cutting at Cancanamoddi, Cuncolim, a site inspection was carried out along with the Cuncolim Municipal Council and necessary instructions were given to the developer to take necessary precaution.
“We will conduct another inspection at the Cancanamoddi, Cuncolim hill cutting site. I will send a team of officials who along with the local MLA can visit the spot. The local MLA can point out all the illegalities to the officials. We will then take appropriate action against the violators,” Rane said.
He also assured that until the inspection is conducted a stop work order will be issued at the site.
The TCP Minister was responding to a query on illegal hill cutting at the religiously sensitive Cancanamoddi at Panzorconi raised by Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao at the Question Hour.
According to the Cuncolim MLA, the TCP department had given technical clearance to the project in 2021 with a condition that the developers should obtain permission from the National Highway authorities and the water resources department.
“The developers have failed to obtain any of the permissions and have been conducting hill cutting activity in complete violation of the,” Alemao said.
He further disclosed that during the recent inspection carried out at the site one of the TCP officials had commented that Cancanamoddi land was not a hill.
“The damage has already been done in the area. The government should take tough action against officials who fail to take action on time,” he said.
Mormugao MLA, Sankalp Amonkar pointed out that the Cancanamoddi area had a religious significance as the area belonged to a “rakhondar” (protector of the area) who safeguards the interest of the locals in the area.
The TCP Minister informed that the department will take action as per the law and local sentiments were inconsequential.
