Team Herald
PANJIM: The Opposition Congress party has appealed to Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai to intervene in the matter of the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPB) illegally permitting mega projects in CRZ and NDZ area at Reis Magos, where massive hill cutting was carried out in a complete violation of IPB Act.
“I have requested Goa Governor to intervene in the matter of IPB illegally permitting mega projects in CRZ and NDZ area in Reis Magos in Bardez taluka where massive hill cutting is seen in a complete violation of IPB Act, we are committed to stop BJP from destroying Goa,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Sunil Kawthankar, said.
According to Kawthankar, a significant portion of the project site included slopes exceeding 25 per cent gradient, which qualifies as non-developable terrain. These steep slopes pose environmental risks such as erosion and instability.
Another senior Vice President of GPCC Tulio De Souza has alleged that the government is trying to accord permission to the Spark Healthline Private Limited, which is to come up at Reis Magos silently.
“Attempts are being made to approve the project silently and I am making this allegation against the Chief Minister as he is the chairman of the Investment Promotion Board. The Chief Minister is promoting the projects which even have no approval,” De Souza said.
“The investment promotion board is capturing the land marked as no development zone in the Regional Plan and showing it as a project before the people. Actually, this is a scam. ” he alleged.
The GPCC has maintained that that the Section 45 of the Act clearly mandates al projects approvals must prioritise environmental sustainability and prohibits the approval of projects on CRZ land and steep slopes. The approval granted to Spark Healthline Private Limited was in direct violation of the provision and represents an overreach of the IPB’s authority.
The Congress vice president had appealed to the Governor to take immediate action to address this issue by reviewing and cancelling the illegal permission granted to Spark Healthline Pvt Ltd.