PERNEM: The Mandrem gram sabha on Sunday had a heated debate over an upcoming villa project in the village.
As soon as the meeting commenced, Amit Sawant, a villager, alleged that the road constructed to give access to the project was illegal since, he said, it has no clearance from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). He asked the panchayat to write to GCZMA seeking its clearance.
Sawant also sought to know from the panchayat whether NOCs have been obtained from the landowner, TCP, the Health Department and others for the road. Replying to the question, a panchayat member said that the road was approved by the previous, nevertheless the panchayat would write to all concerned on the subject.
The gram sabha members reminded the panchayat that the road and the villa project issues were raised during the last gram sabha, but the discussion on the same was reserved for the meeting on September 17, after passing a resolution that all the officials and persons concerned with the project should be asked to attend the gram sabha on that day.
Expressing their displeasure over the non-attendance of the gram sabha on Sunday by the officials and persons concerned with the project, the members passed a resolution directing them to attend the next gram sabha and clear the doubts of the people. The resolution also directed the panchayat to convene a public meeting with the deputy collector, Pollution Board and BDO, if the officials and persons concerned with the project fail to attend the next gram sabha.
If the project director fails to attend the next gram sabha, the members directed the panchayat to issue stop work notice and immediately initiate further action.
Meanwhile, the gram sabha members claimed that the promoter conceived the project as a hotel and promised 350 jobs for the locals, however, they said, now since he has converted it into a villa project, the same would not benefit the villagers. “The owner will sell the villa and will take his profit, while locals will get nothing,” they complained.
“This villa project is not a hotel project to create employment. The assurance about the jobs and other development is false. Moreover, this project will create nuisance in the locality. This project is useless in terms of job and other financial source for the locals. The licenses taken in the name of hotel project are being misused,” said Prasad Shahapurkar, a gram sabha member.
The meeting also discussed issues relating to restoration of bandharas, wherein the villagers said that every year panchayat restores the bandharas but not in time.
