Caconamoddi hill-cutting: Win for Cuncolim locals as TCP Dept revokes clearance given to developers

MARGAO: In a major development, the Town and Country Planning Department revoked the order of technical clearance given to the controversial hill-cutting in Cuncolim.  

Reacting to the order, Cuncolim MLA and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane, Minister for Town and Country Planning. The revocation order said that on verification of the fact, it is noted that the cutting of sloppy land has been carried out for the development of a 10-metre-wide internal sub-divisional road on the western side of the said property, for a 30-meter-long stretch.  

“The illegal cutting is also noticed towards the northern side of the property. Also, it is noted that the contour plans submitted were wrong and as such have been misrepresented to the office,” it added.

In the notice, the TCP Department has further said that the explanation given by the party in response to a show-cause notice was pursued, but the justification and reasoning quoted are not satisfactory and does not hold well in terms of development regulations presently being followed by the Department.  

Alemao said that this aquifer at Caconamoddi needs to be protected for posterity.  

The MLA credited the revocation order to the residents of Cuncolim for their tireless efforts by way of filing complaints and agitating at the illegal hill-cutting site, which eventually compelled the government to act.

It may be recalled that villagers of Cuncolim, besides social activists and environmentalists, had called for 

an agitation over the issue and had strongly opposed the technical clearance given to the developers for hill-cutting.  

“I had also submitted various documents to the authorities in support of my contention that the development taking place at the hill site was completely illegal,” said Alemao.  

He pointed out that the illegal hill-cutting was done by the developers by submitting a wrong contour plan. The developers violated Section 17A of the TCP Act while carrying out the illegal hill cutting, which destroyed the natural terrain of the area.  

Dr Jorson Fernandes said that the people’s power is supreme, and supreme power rules.  

“We had a contour plan of the hillock to checkmate the illegal, corrupt TCP Department,” he said.