VASCO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said he has directed the Mormugao Planning Development Authority (MPDA) to exclude Shantinagar area as a parking area of Dabolim Airport in the ODP, to safeguard around 500 existing houses in the area.
"Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Vice Chairperson Shraddha Mahale, who is the local councillor of the area, told me that the MPDA plan showing Shantinagar as the parking area of Dabolim Airport in its ODP, would threaten around 500 houses in the area which have been existing for over 50 years.”
“To provide relief to these people, I have directed the MPDA to remove the area as the parking area of Goa Airport, so that there is no problem for these houses in future," said Sawant.
The chief minister said the parking for the airport can be taken up in other open spaces which can be identified and later shown as parking for Goa Airport on the MPDA’s ODP.
“I have told the MPDA to mention that there are already existing houses in that area which they have considered and we can consider regularisation of these houses at a later stage," added Sawant.
MMC Vice Chairperson Shraddha Mahale said people in her ward were in panic over the likely demolition of their houses and had approached her to resolve the issue.
“Former councillor Yatin Kamurlekar and I took up the matter with Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, who in turn, discussed it with the chief minister.”
“The CM has given us a positive response and instructed the MPDA member secretary to denotify the area as parking for Goa Airport and mark our houses on the ODP. With this, the issue will soon be resolved," said Mahale.
