MARGAO, MAY 20
Anti-mega housing activist and Carmona panch member Orlando Da Silva has said that PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao is indeed dreaming if he thinks that the villagers of Carmona are supporting Raheja’s housing project.
Reacting to Alemao’s overt support for the Raheja’s project, Orlando stated that the villagers via an unanimous resolution dated March 30, 2008 had opposed the Raheja project and the resolution is a documentary proof in the records of the Carmona village Panchayat.
He said that a writ petition is already filed in the high court to challenge the provisional NOC issued by the TCP at the behest of the PWD Minister.
The Panch member termed as a blatant lie Alemao’s submission that people of Carmona had even confronted him for opposing the Rahejas project, saying ‘if at all there was a confusion, it was a law and order problem that was created by relatives of the Minister. At the gram sabha dated 30.03.2008 villagers who gathered were assaulted and that these persons are facing criminal charges in the court of law”.
While appreciating that the PWD Minister at last realized that Goa requires a Policy on Mega Hosuing projects and that at present Goans cannot afford housing in their own land, Da Silva said that Churchill statement on the Carmona project is full of blatant lies. To put facts rights, Da silva pointed out that the Rahejas had purchased the property in the year 2007 and that there was no shadow of Rahejas in Carmona in the Year 2005. “At that time, it was the original owners of the property M/s Aurora & family from Margao who had applied for development permission for subdividing their property into 71 plots of average area of 350 to 400 square meters. Considering there was shortage of developed plots in the village to meet local demands, I as a responsible ward member consented to the sarpanch Sony Noronha that permission could be given to the owners since the owners orally promised the Sarpanch and me to give first preference to the locals for purchase of these plots”, he said, adding that he still stand by the housing project passed by the Panchayat for plots to the locals.
“If Alemao can prove me wrong on any one of my submission, I am ready to resign from the panchayat membership and also from social activities, otherwise Alemao should do the same and retire. Mega Housing projects does not mean development of local people, Locals are robbed of their purchasing power and only the Minister benefit by such projects”, he added.
