MARGAO, JAN 5
Rachol villagers, including the priests and seminarians of the Rachol Seminary came out in the open on Wednesday to oppose tooth and nail the housing project comprising of row houses proposed near the 400-year-old Seminary.
Villagers assembled in large numbers at a site inspection fixed by the panchayat this morning and conveyed a message loud and clear to the Sarpanch Joseph Vaz and the builder that they are opposed to the housing project.
The villagers maintained that the gram sabha had earlier passed a resolution stating that the people should be taken into confidence before taking any decision on housing projects.
Pointing out that the housing projects would only invite outsiders in the village, the villagers contended that the village lacks basic infrastructure, including garbage disposal.
Sarpanch Joseph Vaz told newsmen that the housing project may not be feasible and raised apprehensions that the project might bring outsiders in the village. He said that he is willing to buy the property of the builder if that would solve the problem.
Panch Guilherme Oliveira said the people are firmly opposed to the housing project and cautioned that the villagers would not take thing lying down if the project is pushed down on the villagers.
Fr Victor Ferrao of the Rachol seminary said the 14 row houses are proposed very close to the 400 year old seminary and feared that the serene and peaceful environment in the village may get vitiated once the housing project takes shape. “For whom are these row houses. Can the locals afford to buy these houses”, Fr Ferrao demanded to know.
“The project site is very close to the seminary. This is a historical area and the housing project would change the situation”, he said.
Fr Ferrao further said the carrying capacity of the village is very less, adding that the village has no proper road network, no garbage disposal facility, adding that the ground water in the area will be left contaminated as the project site is located on a higher plateau.
