PANJIM: The ring if irregularity around the controversial Curtorim hotel project doesn’t seem to die down. What has been undisclosed in the entire debate over the sale of land to a non-Goan, is that its first conversion for residential use was done illegally by the then town planner, since the specific survey number has a large part demarcated outside the settlement zone in RP 2001.
The Margao town planner, while converting the land had stated in his report that 9,965 square meters of the 12,050 square meters lies in the settlement zone as per RP 2001. This is factually incorrect. All further approvals, and its subsequent conversion to ‘commercial’ followed from this initial conversion.
As Herald has constantly reported, a massive outrage has erupted in the village over the construction of this 85 room project in the village. And while village protests against construction is regular, this project has exposed the gross manner in which project approvals are given by keeping the final Regional Plan in abeyance
Importantly the town planner’s report way back in 2009 classifies this land as not “rice” (meaning where rice cultivation does not take place). However Form I and XIV of the same survey area classifies the entire area of 12,050 square meters as “rice”. This false classification allowed conversions without scaling the approval level from department to government.
In RP 2021, most of the land bearing survey number 20/11 on which the hotel project is coming up lies within No Development zones and orchard/ paddy field with a fraction of an area lying with the settlement zone.
This is the genesis of the protest movement in Curtorim where village level activists deeply involved in drawing up the village level plans for RP 2021 have literally gone back to the drawing board. A representation made to the Chief Minister by Curtorkarancho Ekvot a village level people’s organization against the project states “ The technical clearance of the 85 room hotel and the recommendation for conversion to commercial use, are therefore in violation of RP 2021 and the TCP act”
When contacted the Curtorim legislator Alexio Reginald Lourenco said “Irrespective of any resolutions and decisions taken earlier, it the people of Curtorim feel that this project is not good for the village, I am with them”.
