Team Herald
MARGAO: The panchas of the Sao Jose de Areal panchayat were shocked to find that the allegedly illegal hill-cutting in the village has continued despite their objections, and the complaints they filed with the TCP Department.
The panchayat body has now knocked on the door of the South Goa District Collector. Sarpanch Joyce Dias said that the authorities concerned have ignored the complaint filed by the panchayat, raising serious questions about the powers given to the local body. She has also alleged that complete violation of TCP rules can be witnessed at the site.
However, Sandeep Surlekar, Deputy Town Planner, Margao told Herald that there was nothing illegal happening at the site, and that the concerned party has obtained all the required permissions from the Town and Country Planning Department. A few days ago, the village panchayat of Sao Jose de Areal had stopped a team of workers from carrying out alleged illegal hill cutting in the Suroibhatt locality and had demanded that the TCP check on the excavation activities being carried out at the site, in order to prevent further damage to the environment.
The panchayat has claimed that the developer of the project has violated TCP norms by cutting into the hill beyond permissible limits.
Upset with the lack of action from the TCP and the police, the panchayat on Friday filed a complaint before South Goa District Collector Jyoti Kumar, seeking her intervention to stop the excavation at the site.
