Team Herald
PANJIM: Farmers from Taleigao have strongly opposed a large-scale construction project set to take place in fields located opposite St Michael School. The farmers argue that the development contravenes the resolutions passed by the gram sabha and violates state government regulations that prohibit the filling of low-lying agricultural areas.
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In a statement to the press, Advocate Bhupendra Prabhudesai said “I had moved a resolution stating that no construction should take place in agricultural fields and we were assured by the gram sabha that construction licences would not be granted for such projects, including roads.”
Prabhudesai went on to elaborate on a previous gram sabha resolution he had proposed, which stated that no new construction projects should be approved until the issue of water scarcity was resolved. He expressed dismay at the planned construction of a six-floor building. “When these resolutions were passed, Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate was the Chairman of the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) and continues to hold this position,” he said. “Yet, despite gram sabha resolutions, permissions are still being granted, and they claim to bear no responsibility. The NGPDA should be scrapped entirely. I fail to understand how they are approving projects in low-lying areas.”
Prabhudesai also referred to statements made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who has publicly declared his commitment to promoting agriculture. “If the Chief Minister truly wants to support agriculture, then he cannot allow such projects that involve dumping vast amounts of mud and filling agricultural land,” Prabhudesai added.
The farmers remain firm in their stance, demanding the cancellation of the project and the protection of their agricultural land from further development.
