Large scale instances of illegalities and pollution in the Cuncolim IDC is giving harrowing time to the local residents, who have been complaining that the
companies there have encroached into the Sociedade. In a three-part series, Cuncolim- the estate of illegality, O Heraldo delves into the issues faced by Cuncolim residents
CUNCOLIM: Several companies located at Cuncolim Industrial Estate have encroached upon the land of the Sociedade Gauncares de Agricola Cuncolim e Veroda, while some have indulged in illegal landfilling and expanded their plants illegally outside the notified industrial zone, the residents have alleged.
Six industrial units have encroached upon the Sociedade De Gauncares land. One fish meal plant has encroached almost 5,000 square metres while another fish meal plant has dug a pit on the land belonging to the Sociedade.
Similarly, two steel plants have also encroached upon the land. One of them has allegedly encroached upon 13,000 square metres while the other has expanded by encroaching on 5,000 square metres.
The land belongs to Sociedade Dos Gauncares De Agricola Cuncolim E Veroda, which is a society of Gauncars from Cuncolim.
Mahajans of Shree Shantadurga Kunkalikarin, Shree Shantadurga Vedekarin and Gauncars, who are the members of Confraria of Our Lady of Health, Cuncolim are members of this Society and are waging a battle to get back the land encroached by industrial units.
Avi Dessai, a Gauncar and a local lawyer Adv Patrick Monteiro have filed a complaint against one Quality Exports Company for digging a 30×30 metre pit illegally on the Sociedade land.
Taking the cognisance of illegal landfilling and illegal construction of the pit, the Deputy Collector has issued a show cause notice to the Quality Exports directing it to stop the work immediately.
Subsequently, Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) carried out inspection wherein Quality Exports officials denied any illegalities committed by them. Following this, the municipality issued another show cause notice to an unknown person.
Sources from the Sociedade Dos Gauncares De Agricola Cuncolim E Veroda told O Heraldo that they had rented land to industry for rainwater harvesting but had not allowed anybody to carry out any sort of construction activity.
The steel plant, which has encroached 13,000 square metres, has now constructed a compound wall without obtaining permissions from both — the Sociedade and the Cuncolim Municipal Council.
What has worried the citizens is the inaction of the Cuncolim Municipal Council. “Why is the Cuncolim municipality reluctant to initiate action against illegal activities?” they asked.
When contacted, Cuncolim councillor Vishal Dessai said that the chairperson is not interested in taking action against the ongoing illegalities in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate claiming that the municipality has no role to play since the land is situated in the industrial zone.
When the O Heraldo team visited the industrial estate to take the ground report, it was found that the mysterious pit is still in the same condition while the steel plant had done illegal landfilling and also built a compound wall on the Sociedade land.
CMC Chief Officer Joao Fernandes had issued a show cause notice to unknown person/s to produce the papers of the pit constructed outside the IDC within 15 days failing which the municipality will demolish the pit. It’s now, more than a month and nothing has been done by the municipality nor has anybody come forward to stake the claim of the illegal pit.
Neither any government authority has visited the Cuncolim Industrial Estate nor is the municipal council interested in taking action against the ongoing activities.
Replying to a calling attention notice tabled by Alemao, Chief Minister Pramod had stated that some members of Sociedade met him including the one who claimed to be the president and that he had given land to one of the industries.
The Sociedade president told Gauncars that he never met the Chief Minister or spoke to him about the Sociedade land.
Managing Committee member of Sociedade Dos Gauncares De Agricola Cuncolim e Veroda Oscar Martins said that two industries had asked them to provide them land on rent for use.
“We have kept their applications on hold because we want to do a survey of IDC land and want to check the encroachment done on our land. We also received complaints from members about illegal construction on our land. We will study the matter and act accordingly,” he said.
Yuri Alemao, Leader of the Opposition had raised the issue of illegalities, pollution and land grabbing at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate in the just concluded Assembly session and had demanded an end to such illegalities.
He had said that some companies had encroached upon the land belonging to the Sociedade Gauncares de Agricola Cuncolim e Veroda.
Alemao said that for the last several years, Cuncolkars have been demanding an end to pollution and large-scale encroachments by industrialists, but it fell on deaf ears.
