Navelim panchayat seeks revocation of controversial housing project licence

Navelim Panchayat secretary is grilled by citizens at the special meeting of the panchayat for issuing the construction licence to a housing project at Ratwaddo.

MARGAO
The special meeting of the Navelim village panchayat on Monday objected to the construction licence issued to a housing project by the panchayat secretary.
The panchayat has further resolved to request the additional director of panchayats to revoke the licence issued to the project.
In another resolution, the panchayat members have resolved to call for a joint inspection of the project site after the residents insisted that the Town and Country Planning department has issued the construction licence sans the six-metre wide road.
Monday saw a large number of residents of Ratawaddo attending the special meeting of the panchayat body with placards, demanding the immediate revocation of the construction licence issued for the project.
They grilled the panchayat secretary for his decision to issue the construction licence for the housing project under the deeming provision. They told sarpanch Paul Pereira and other members to take a resolution not just to object to the project, but to revoke the licence granted to the project.
Social activist Pratima Coutinho made a plea to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to scrap the controversial project, saying it has been approved without the six-metre access road. She also appealed to the TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane to find out from the TCP why the department gave the clearance for the project sans the six-metre road.
Demanding a joint inspection of the project site, Pratima said that the people of Navelim will not rest till the project is scrapped.
After the meeting, sarpanch Paul wrote a letter to the additional director of panchayats, South, drawing his attention to the unanimous resolution adopted by the panchayat to formally object to the construction licence.
In the letter, the sarpanch said the village body has expressed serious concern that the licence was issued by the panchayat secretary in pursuance of the memorandum issued by the block development officer, Salcete block.
“The panchayat strongly views that the issuance of the said licence, without adherence to its resolution and without addressing the concerns raised, is procedurally improper and against the principles of local self-governance,” the sarpanch said, while seeking the intervention of the additional panchayat director to take necessary action and revoke the construction licence in the interest of justice and proper administrative procedure.