TEAM HERALD
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PONDA: Noisy scenes were witnessed at Betki-Khandola gram sabha on Sunday over the controversial mega housing project, after villagers claimed that various other issues concerning the village are sidelined as majority of the time is utilised to discuss the mega housing project issue.
According to information, a mega housing project consisting of about 762 flats and another 72 commercial establishments is coming up at Ameywada and Kurduwada. The work according to villagers has already begun and once complete will have an adverse impact on the ecology and on the existing resources.
Betki-Khandola Samvardan Samiti (BCSS) consisting of social activist from the village have been demanding that the panchayat should immediately stop work and revoke licenses issued to the mega housing project. A resolution was also passed during the previous gram sabha to cancel all the licenses issued.
“We have been requesting the panchayat to conduct a special gram sabha to discuss the issue. However, the panchayat seems to be least bothered and this in turn has also angered some villagers who feel that their issues are sidelined. Instead of discussing this issue during every gram sabha, I feel panchayat should hold a special gram sabha,” stated BCSS Spokesperson Arun Madgaonkar.
The panchayat did not entertain the demand for holding special gram sabha but informed that the resolution passed to cancel licenses issued to the mega housing project has been forwarded to Block Development Office (BDO) Ponda for an opinion.
“Permissions have been illegally given to the mega housing project and we have documentary evidence to prove. The previous panchayat illegally issued permissions to this project and our demand is that the panchayat should immediately stop the ongoing work which is at primary stage,” added Madgaonkar.
“Documentary evidence revealed that the project once ready will need the same amount of water per day which is the requirement of residences in the entire Betki-Khandola Panchayat jurisdiction. Similar will be the case with other resources. In no way this project will benefit the locality,” added Madgaonkar.
Demanding cancellation of the licenses issued to the mega housing project, BCSS held a day-long hunger strike outside the panchayat hall. Even here noisy scenes were witnessed as soon after the gram sabha, some panchas including few villagers asked social activists to vacate the area who were on protest. However, BCSS claimed it has already obtained permission from the district administration. Later, Ponda Police intervened and managed to bring the situation under control.
