Land filling: Orlim locals cry foul over police inaction
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, MAY 15
Orlim villagers cried foul as directions by the Town and Country Planning Department to the Colva police to stop land filling at Orlim by a mega housing project builder went abegging since the last five days.
It was on May 10 that Town Planner Rajesh Naik asked the Colva police to stop the land filling immediately and to direct the party to clear the dumped mud from the property and restore the land to its original form since no permission has been obtained for the mud filling.
It’s five days now since the Town Planner wrote the letter to the Colva Police Station incharge, but there’s change in the ground situation, claimed local villagers.
In fact, the villagers claimed that when they approached the Orlim police outpost, they were told by the men-in-uniform they can stop the work on condition they receive the request from the panchayat body.
“We have knocked the doors of the TCP, the police and the Panchayat body, but the violations by the builders continue on the ground. Why are the villagers made to run from pillar to post when the authorities ought to act on their own”, remarked Kim Miranda,
Incidentally, Town Planner Rajesh Naik had requested the Colva police to take necessary action as per the provisions of Section 17-A of the TCP Act.
Interestingly, TCP officials say the police are supposed to act based on the request made by the Town Planner, reminding that land filling prior permission of the Chief Town Planner under section 17-A of the TCP Act and that the violation of this provision of the Act is a cognizable offense.
The Orlim villagers have been waging a battle against a mega housing project consisting of 66 flats in the village. In the past, the TCP had issued a notice to the builder to discontinue filling or development in the low lying area. However, inspection by the TCP officials on May 10 revealed that the directions issued earlier were literally thrown to the winds as evident by the development work in the property in question.
