MARGAO
A Telecom tower meeting chaired by South Goa Additional Collector Srinet Kothwale on Wednesday directed Indus Towers to maintain the status quo at Govroti-Nuvem where the company has erected a tower despite opposition from the local populace.
As far as the controversial towers at Quelossim and Velim are concerned, the meeting decided that the panchayats will help identify alternate sites so that the towers are shifted to the new sites. The MLAs of Cortalim Anton Vaz and Velim Cruz Silva participated in the meeting.
The meeting turned stormy when the issue of tower installation at Gorvotti-Nuvem came up for discussion. The Indus Towers official took the stand that the company has already erected the tower and it may cost lakhs of rupees to shift the tower from one site to another. He also raised the rent issue if the new site identified by the panchayat is a private one, saying the company will not be able to pay higher rent.
At this time, sarpanch Frida D’Sa reminded the official that the company has installed the tower at its own risk when the panchayat had issued the stop work order.
Congress leader from Nuvem Everson Vales and activist Zarina Da Cunha also pointed out that the people cannot be blamed if the company has forcefully erected the tower at Gorvotti against the wishes of the people and at midnight.
As both sides argued and counter-argued over the contention issue, Additional Collector Srinet directed to maintain the status quo at the tower site at Gorvotti. This assumes significance when the Nuvem delegation pointed out that the company is planning to install the devices on the tower to make it operational.
After the meeting, the Additional Collector told the media that the tower issues at Quelossim and Velim panchayats will be resolved after the respective panchayat bodies suggest alternate sites for the installation of towers. “I am confident that the issues are Quelossim and Velim should be amicably resolved once the alternate sites are identified,” he said.
As far as Nuvem is concerned, the Additional Collector pointed out that the Nuvem issue should also be resolved if the issue of rent at the alternate site is resolved. He said the two sides will meet again on Friday to resolve the issue.
Everson Vales told the media after the meeting that the Nuvem delegation has given two days for Indus to dismantle the tower, saying the company has no right to bulldoze with the tower.
Sarpanch Frida pointed out that the panchayat is working out a solution for the issue.
Activist Zarina Da Cunha said the people of Nuvem will chalk out the future course of action if Indus Towers does not shift the tower from Gorvotti.
Velim MLA Veena Cardozo said the people of Velim as well as the panchayat will not allow the company to forcefully erect the tower at the GPS Velim.
MLAs say tower companies not taking locals, p’yats into confidence
MLA Velim Cruz Silva and Cortalim Anton Vas on Wednesday said the mobile tower companies are trying to bulldoze with the towers without taking the people and panchayats into confidence.
The Velim MLA has suggested that the companies should seek advice from the local panchayats, before undertaking soil testing, so that no issue crops up in the future.
The MLAs had participated in the meeting chaired by South Goa Additional Collector Srinet Kothwale over the tower issues raised by the people of Quelossim and Velim.
Anton Vas said the issue cropped up after the company tried to bulldoze with the tower construction when there was opposition from the people. “It has now been decided that the panchayat would suggest alternate sites for the erection of the towers,” he said.
Cruz Silva said he has requested the Collector to direct the telecom companies to take the locals and panchayats into confidence before taking up the work to avoid bad blood and law and order issues.
