TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Have the planning authorities still not learnt a lesson or two from the Canacona building collapse, even as the role of South Goa Planning and Development Authority has come under the scanner vis-a-vis issuance of development permissions. A housing file had come before the SGPDA meeting for approval on Tuesday showing that the project is proposed on land admeasuring 570 sq mts. In reality, the huge construction project was mooted on land admeasuring 10,570 sq mts, raising eyebrows amongst the PDA member.
Says PDA member, MLA Vijai Sardessai: “When we brought to light the glaring discrepancy, they claimed it was a mistake. How could the PDA commit such a glaring mistake? If approved, the construction project could have had an adverse impact on parking and other aspects”.
That’s not all. If the Fatorda MLA is to be believed, a construction file had come up before the SGPDA for approval when the project is already underway. “How can you even start a building without a license? The file has now come for regularisation”, he said.
Sources in the know said some of the projects were silent on garbage collection, while others had no consideration for parking and plans for traffic circulation.
SGPDA Member Secretary Vinod Kumar was not available for comments, but PDA Chairman MLA Rajan Naik said the PDA has called for re-scrutiny of the construction files no sooner the demand was made by some members. “Let the SGPDA give its detailed technical report and only then we will be able to comment whether there were discrepancies in the files or not”, Rajan said.
When questioned whether the PDA will also bring under the scanner the construction files which were granted approval earlier this month, the PDA chairman said he would certainly look into the request made by the members.
The Fatorda MLA has demanded that PDA should immediately do a review of the construction files approved this month, saying that eyebrows have been raised in many quarters that these files were
approved in great haste by the PDA.
