20 Feb 2009  |   12:00am IST

Pilerne-Marra VP charged for refusing to stop construction work on Savlem banks

PANJIM, FEB 19 Pilerne Citizens Forum has charged Pilerne-Marra Village Panchayat of refusing to issue stop work orders to a construction on the banks of the scenic Savlem lake despite Office of the Senior Town Planner directing the VP to keep the NOC issued by it in abeyance.

PANJIM, FEB 19
Pilerne Citizens Forum has charged Pilerne-Marra Village Panchayat of refusing to issue stop work orders to a construction on the banks of the scenic Savlem lake despite Office of the Senior Town Planner directing the VP to keep the NOC issued by it in abeyance.
PCF maintained it has learnt of gross irregularities committed by the developer M/s Omprakash Singh Developers, which is constructing residential flats on a plot bearing Survey No 206/2.
The Office of the Senior Town Planner, Mapusa, on February 9, 2009, noted that on preliminary verification of the documents it was found that conversion was recommended by it based on approval granted earlier for sub-division of property and on the assumption that the land under reference was in Settlement (S2) zone.
It notes further, �As pointed by PCF the property under reference is apparently falling under Agriculture (A2) zone as per the Outline Development Plan of Panjim (Porvorim part) available in this office.�
In view of the apprehensions of ecological damage to the lake raised by PCF the Office of the Senior Town Planner directed the Pilerne-Marra VP to keep the NOC granted to the project in abeyance.
PCF said it was shocking to learn how the Town and Country Planning Department had issued the NOC in spite of the A2 zone marked on the ODP. This is in complete contravention to the zoning shown in the department�s own ODP, it asserted.
Interestingly, an application made by PCF under the Right to Information Act on September 10, 2008, to know the conversion recommendation report exposed the TCP when it replied that the said report was lost.
After PCF approached the first appellate authority, a copy of the report was finally made known on December 18, 2008 wherein it was mentioned: As per the ODP the area proposed for conversion in question is located in Settlement. Pursuant to the TCP�s NOC the conversion sanad and other licenses were issued to the builder.�
�The TCP says this was a mistake, but we maintain this is a big fraud,� PCF asserted.
On February 16, the Block Development Office-I, Mapusa, acting on PCF�s complaint directed the village panchayat to take immediate action into the matter.
But PCF maintained that the VP has till date refused to issue stop work orders to the construction and the same has on the contrary gained speed in the last few days.