FRIDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2023
Team Herald
MARGAO: Voicing their opposition to the proposed Film City project that is set to come up in Loliem in Canacona taluka, the residents have written to the Goa Governor, Chief Secretary and the Administrator of Comunidades South Zone calling upon them to reject the Loliem Comunidade’s decision granting 250 acres in the village to establish a Film City.
The residents also called for refusing to give any approvals for the film city.
“Reject the decision taken by the Comunidade of Loliem during a general body meeting held on October 15, 2023 to grant of 250 acres of plateau land within the panchayat area of Loliem Panchayat to establish a Film City; and to refuse to give any approvals for the same,” the residents led by Dattaprasad Prabhugaokar stated in the first letter.
“Write to the Comunidade of Loliem informing them that the decision taken during its general body meeting to grant 250 acres of plateau land within the panchayat area of Loliem Village Panchayat to establish a Film City is illegal and null and void ab initio,” they demanded further.
“The decision taken by the Comunidade of Loliem on October 15 needs to be approved by the Administrator of Comunidades and the Governor of Goa, as laid down in the Code of Comunidades,” the residents added.
The second letter of the residents was addressed to the South Goa Additional Director of Panchayats and the Sarpanch and Secretary of Loliem panchayat, where they also made two demands.
“The village panchayat of Loliem shall write to the Comunidade of Loliem informing them that the decision taken by the Comunidade of Loliem during a general body meeting held on October 15, 2023 to grant 250 acres of plateau land within the Panchayat Area of Loliem Village Panchayat to establish a Film City is illegal and null and void ab initio,” said the residents.
“The Additional Director of Panchayats – II, South Goa shall summarily dismiss Panchayat Appeal P.A. No. MAR-I/137/2016 and declare that the decision taken by the Comunidade of Loliem during its general body meeting to grant 250 acres of plateau land within the Panchayat Area of Loliem Village Panchayat to establish a Film City is illegal and null and void ab initio,” the residents added.
Here, the residents were referring to resolutions that were taken by the gram sabha of Loliem village panchayat on October 26, 2016 to conserve all the plateau lands in the panchayat area, which were then challenged at that point of time by the Loliem Comunidade before the Additional Panchayat Director.
The villagers have been protesting against the project to save the rich biodiversity of the Bhagwati plateau where the Film City is supposed to come up. They also want to preserve the area and the environment for future generations. Incidentally, the villagers had earlier successfully thwarted the plans for IIT campus to come up in the village and on the plateau in the past.
Meanwhile, the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) has started seeking consultants to aid in the establishment of a Film City in Goa, utilising a public-private partnership (PPP). ESG has initiated the tender process, inviting consultants to contribute transaction advisory services crucial for the project's development.
