This can be seen as a damage control exercise to solve the long festering issue and to undo the damage caused to the hillock and save the historical Xavier Retreat Centre at Baga, from imminent collapse during monsoon.
The Calangute panchayat has taken the initiative after it received a letter from the deputy director of panchayats, North Goa, enclosing the letter of the rector of Bom Jesus Basilica, Old Goa, to the chief minister highlighting the hill cutting in the private property of the Jesuits at Baga and to undo the damage to the hillock.
The Calangute panchayat vide its letter addressed to the Parish Priest of St Alex Church, Calangute, has requested the presence of parish priest during the site inspection on April 24, at 11 am. All Calangute panchayat members have also been directed to remain present during the site inspection.
Panch Joseph Sequeira told Herald: “We have been directed to work out an amicable solution to the hill cutting and restoration of the hillock at the Xavier Retreat House by the deputy director of panchayats, North Goa, and accordingly we have arranged for a site inspection on April 24, at 11 am.”
It may be recalled that recently a retaining wall which was being constructed through government funds to protect the Xavier Retreat Centre at Baga was allegedly damaged and at the behest of Arpora-Nagoa Panch Cleophas Fernandes without any permissions, evoking protest from the church authorities and villagers.
The church authorities had even demanded immediate arrest of the culprit for trespass and cutting of the hillock on which the Xavier Retreat Centre stands. With rains hardly a month month away and no signs of restoration of the cut hillock by the culprit, the villagers of Arpora-Nagoa, Calangute, Candolim and surrounding areas have came together to re-build the retaining wall through public funds. However, the damage control work was stopped at the behest of Arpora-Nagoa Panch with allegedly backing by a BJP Minister in Goa Govt which was condemned by Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo.
