Members question approval process, call for site inspection and unified opposition to mega housing projects in village
A member making a point at the gram sabha of the Chandor village panchayat held on Sunday.
MARGAO
The gram sabha of Chandor village panchayat held on Sunday witnessed uproar as members firmly objected to mega housing projects in the heritage village.
At the Sunday gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Babazino Dias, agitated members questioned the chair over the row bungalows proposed at Fatramoll, demanding to know how come the project got the approval when there’s not even a four metre road on the site.
They have demanded a site inspection of the project in the coming week to ascertain the ground reality and demanded further action.
Members have expressed their apprehensions that the heritage village may soon turn into a concrete jungle in the event four-storeyed housing projects get the approval of the panchayat body.
After the meeting, the sapranch told the media that the panchayat did not give the NOC for the row bungalow project. He admitted such a project should have a six-metre road, further confirming that the road at the site is less than four metres.
Panchayat member Derrick Braganza told the media that the 27 bungalow project file had come to the panchayat in the year 2024. He said the developer had given an undertaking to take care of the garbage, and had produced NOC from the Power department for power supply and had further given an undertaking to lay an independent water pipeline.
He pointed out that the TCP, which had issued the technical clearance for the project later revoked the same, following which the panchayat also revoked the approval for the project. He, however, pointed out that the developer later went to the High Court and got an order, against the revocation order.
Gram sabha members demanded that the panchayat members should pass a resolution saying that they are all united in the fight against mega housing projects.
Gram sabha member John Douglas Coutinho later told the media that Chandor will not remain a heritage village if plans to concretise the village with multi-storeyed buildings are not stopped immediately. “Villagers of Chandor have given its approval for housing projects with 60 FAR. But, we have learnt that a four-storeyed building has been proposed by a builder. The panchayat must reject the proposal,” he demanded.
