TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Expressing their shock over blatant violation of laws, misuse of power and betrayal of trust of the people to create a deadly threat to the village, residents of Curtorim on Tuesday demanded revocation of illegal permissions granted to the 85-room hotel at Vetnem.
Having petitioned the various authorities, including the office of Chief Minister, to scrap the hotel project, residents have now decided to knock the doors of the Curtorim gram sabha scheduled coming Sunday.
Addressing the media, Carminho Almeida said the 85-room hotel project was never placed before the village gram sabha despite a resolution mandating the panchayat body to place all major proposals before the gram sabha. “Curtorim village is all about agriculture, khazans, lakes, springs and fields. The hotel project will invite hordes of outsiders to grab our land and displace the villagers. Our garbage problem is not solved yet. And just imagine the situation when the hotel project takes shape. Sewage from the hotel will find its way into the neighbouring fields. The hotel has a proposal for a swimming pool with tube well facility which will only leave the public wells and other water bodies dry”, he feared.
He pooh-poohed claims made on the employment front, saying while the hotel may create vacancies for 10-20 locals, the village lacks basic infrastructure to take care of tourists and guests.
Another villager John Da Silva echoed similar sentiments. He said the project has got the sanction despite glaring irregularities, while calling upon all Curtorkars and others to rise and defend their land against speculative changes for private profit, which will permanently destroy Goa and Goan culture. “We pledge to oppose this and other anti-people projects in our village at any cost, in order to fulfil our duty towards our motherland and the future generations”, he added.
Outgoing Sarpanch, Valentina Braganza, during whose tenure the panchayat had issued license to the project, said though she had asked the members to place the project before the gram sabha, she was overruled by the members.
Addressing the media, activist Abhijit Prabhudessai said land conversion was carried out in an allegedly fraudulent manner. “There’s no eight meter right of way to the hotel project site, but the authorities have granted the permissions. Even the land acquisition for the proposed road has not commenced. Houses and walls lining up along the road will be affected”, he said. Abhijit pointed out that though the Principal Secretary (TCP) had raised a host of queries on the project, the queries were overruled by Chief Minster Manohar Parikar as evident by an official noting dated June 4, 2014.
The residents said the TCP and the panchayat have not only violated the policies of the village by introducing large-scale tourism in the village without their consent, but have broken various laws also.
