PANJIM: Town & Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane has assured police action against the concerned government officers for allegedly permitting massive hill cutting to facilitate a hotel project in the coastal area. The minister also warned to expose the errant officers in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
On Sunday morning, DCF North inspected the construction site at Hotel Park Regis in Arpora during which massive hill cutting was noticed with no permission for the same.
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“Section 8 of the Goa Preservation of Trees Act, 1984, classifies it as a serious offence. According to the GPTA, permission cannot be granted even for mature trees on steep slopes. An offence has been booked for violation of Section 8 of Goa Preservation of Trees Act 1984; this is a violation of TCP Act as well; an FIR will be registered today against the officers of PDA who permitted the massive hill cutting for the hotel project at Arpora and the company for violation of Section 17A,” said Rane in his social media post updating the public about the matter.
He also assured the people of Goa that an affidavit stating that there was a serious lapse on the part of the PDA and the TCP department is presented in court. “The government in its affidavit to the court will make sure that the facts are produced before the court, in the case filed by the Goa Foundation and that such violations will not be tolerated,” he said.
Last month, the high court had directed the flying squad to stop the alleged illegal hill cutting at the project site while issuing notices to the TCP, NGPDA and the local village panchayat for replies.
