TEAM HERALD
CALANGUTE: Responding to allegations that they had been involved in issuing an NOC to the electricity department to set up a sub-power station at Calangute, the previous managing committee of Calangute Comunidade claimed that they had consulted the tenanted farmers before giving the NOC.
Speaking to reporters in the presence of former president of Calangute Comunidade Agnelo Lobo at Senior Citizen Ghar, Calangute, ex-attorney Anthony D’Souza said Calangute Comunidade President Agostinho Proenca had revoked the provisional NOC given to the electricity department to set up sub-power station at Calangute claiming that the tenanted farmers were not taken into confidence.
“However, when the farmers called on us, they had agreed to part with their portion of land for the sub-power station. Why did it take so long for them to approach the comunidade to raise their objections,” questioned D’Souza.
“The nursery being run by Bonifacio Fernandes is also illegal and besides, Fernandes had given an undertaking to Calangute Comunidade for the electricity department project,” added D’Souza.
Agnelo Lobo said, “It looks like the comunidade president is having some vested interest in revoking the NOC given to the electricity department to set up sub-power station at Calangute.”
When contacted, Bonifacio Fernandes refuted the allegations of ex-attorney D’Souza.
““How can the ex-attorney claim my nursery is illegal? I have requisite permissions from the departments concerned. I have been toiling hard day and night for the nursery and instead of encouraging a genuine Goan farmer, these people are trying to harass us for no reason,” said Fernandes.
Fernandes claimed that when they raised their objections two-and-half years ago, their objections were not entertained by the previous managing committee. He also denied having agreed to part with his farming land for the sub-power station.
Proenca has denied any ulterior motive in revoking the NOC given to the electricity department by the previous managing committee and reiterated that the present managing committee is also in favour of sub-power station for Calangute, but not in the cultivated fields
of farmers.
