MARGAO/CUNCOLIM: Congress leader Elvis Gomes on Saturday expressed surprise that Town Planner Vinod Kumar Chandra was quoted by media as having passed judgment at the site itself about the landform at Cuncolim that has become a subject matter of bitterness between the locals and the Cuncolim Municipal Council.
Speaking to the media persons, Gomes said that not only had the place an appearance of a hill but for centuries was considered as one.
“The job of the Town Planner was to evaluate all aspects of the issues raised and thereafter give his findings in writing with the approval of the Chief Town Planner or even the government if need be,” Elvis said.
He said that Chandra is a good officer and he should not come under anyone’s pressure.
Meanwhile, for the last two months, Cuncolkars has been fighting against illegal hill cutting and demanding revocation of the licence issued for hill cutting. Chandra said, “There was nothing illegal in the permission issued because the place where the land development is done does not fall in mountain or hill criteria.”
The TCP officials had come for a joint inspection regarding the controversial hill cutting at Kaknamodi in Cuncolim. The locals got into a heated argument with Town Planner Vinod Kumar Chandra and the joint inspection was stopped halfway.
