Team Herald
MARGAO: A large number of Carmona locals held a prayer service, including litany, at the cross in the Raheja property on Wednesday evening. Although Rahejas had beefed up security at the site and installed signboards to warn against trespassing, the locals were unperturbed. It was the security team that had to back off after seeing the huge turnout.
The locals sang hymns and laid candles and offered flowers around the cross. They also reiterated that the traditional access to the cross, well and River Sal could not be blocked.
The cross has become a serious issue after the senior town planner and panchayat secretary confirmed that it had not been shown on the site plan.
Carmona Village Committee (CVC) spokesperson Socorro Miranda criticized Deputy Sarpanch Orlando Da Silva and the panchayat advocate for failing to notice the cross despite inspecting the site and taking legal opinion.
Incidentally, the director of panchayats has been apprised of the situation since it was alleged that the inspection had been carried out without following the rules, under which a general body meeting had to be held prior to the inspection. Ward member Da Silva had also feigned ignorance about the cross’ existence.
Panch Prisco Rodrigues stated that he had objected with a pencil marking on the plan, while in the presence of Raheja representatives during the inspection, to point out that the actual road was not shown. The site inspectors who failed to notice the cross, however, had cleared the width of the road as six metres, which eventually led to no objections being raised. Rodrigues and locals informed about how the road came into being and how actual measurements should have been made.
While the locals are moving the High Court over the matter, they will continue to pray at the cross for an early resolution of the issue. They also hope that the next panchayat meeting fulfils their demands for the revocation of the disputed construction licence.
