MARGAO: The Camurlim Village Panchayat on Wednesday issued a stop work order to the concerned party pertaining to alleged forest land being converted for a housing project.
On the other hand, the panchayat has also written to all the concerned departments including the Forest and Town and Country Planning to reply on the claims made by the villagers that the said land had been marked as forest in the government records.
It is pertinent to note that several villagers under the leadership of environmentalist Abhijit Prabhudesai marched into their panchayat office demanded that the ongoing construction of a road for a housing project be halted immediately.
“Now, upon the complaint and the documents produced by the villagers, a stop work order was served to the concerned party and they have been asked them to file areply,” said Basilio Fernandes, Sarpanch of village panchayat Camurlim.
He clarified that an earlier provisional NOC by the panchayat was issued to the plots based on the documents submitted.
“However, villagers have now claimed that the said area is forest land and it has been converted illegally and documents given by the concerned party are forged,” he informed.
Sarpanch said that the panchayat has asked all the concerned departments including forest and TCP to verify the same and reply with regard to the claims made by the villagers.
As informed by the villagers the said land is huge and major destruction to the environment will be the result if allowed constructions of housing projects on the same land.
