PANJIM: It’s clear. No permission was sought nor any permission as given to cut the trees, along the road side from petrol pump to SFX School in Siolim, as per the affidavits submitted before the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
The affidavits filed by the PWD show that no permissions were sought nor granted except permission given for cutting and trimming of branches of trees falling in the road widening area of MDR 10 and electricity wires from Sonarkhed towards Siolim-Chopdem bridge.
PWD, works division XIII, sub-division II Assistant Engineer-II (retired) John Rodrgiues in his affidavit has stated that he had applied to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) for permission to trim or cut the branches of trees on January 25, 2023.
Two days before that, Rodrigues wrote to the Siolim-Marna sarpanch, requesting him to remove the illegal extensions of shops and kiosks on MDR 10 from Siolm bazaar up to Siolim bridge.
In the meantime, the PWD awarded the work of improvement of road vix Thetare Junction to Siolim bridge to M/s Trivikram Constructions for over Rs 1.44 crore, since the land was already acquired. And for this road stretch an application dated March 2, 2023 was made to the DCF for trimming or cutting the braches as well as to cut the whole tree, if necessary.
Rodrigues stated that the permissions granted by the DCF included one permission related to 37 trees on the stretch from Theatre Junction to Siolim bridge where land was acquired.
But as regard to application dated January 25, 2023, no permission was sought for cutting of any tree and that this application was made only for trimming or cutting the branches of the trees which were leaning on the road as well as on electricity lines and posing danger to the motorists and pedestrians on MDR 10. This was done in public interest to avoid any untoward incidents/danger to the motorists and pedestrians, the retired assistant engineer said.
Permission for tree cutting had lapsed when Siolim trees were felled, submits Lobo
PANJIM: The Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, in the thick of the massive illegal tree felling controversy in Siolim, gave a statement before the Range Forest Officer (RFO) that the permission to fell trees had lapsed when the latest episode tree felling took place.
This statement prima facie contradicts the PWD’s affidavit where it states that no permission to fell trees in private property was sought and the Forest Departments affidavit stating that no permissions were given to fell trees but permissions were given only to trim branches of trees that were jutting out on the road for public safety
The Panjim Range Forest Officer (RFO) Mangaldas Devsekar on Friday recorded the statement of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo in connection with the felling of trees at Siolim.
In his affidavit Lobo had stated the sole purpose of impleading him as one of the respondents was on account of the additional affidavit dated March 27, 2024 filed by the petitioners Aaron Victor E Fernandes and two others enclosing two purported videos along with the transcript of the two videos.
“I was in no manner concerned with the activities of cutting of trees being carried out by the contractor on the site and neither had I instructed any such person to carry out the activities of tree cutting. I say that I have never been involved in any activities of tree cutting being carried out at the Siolim Village,” Lobo said in his affidavit.
