P’yat secretray says he had not issued any NOC
TEAM HERALD
DABOLIM: The Velsao-Pale-Issorcim Panchayat has filed a police complaint against a person from Pali in Murdi-Velsao on charges of forging documents of an NOC to install a mobile network tower at Pale.
According to Sarpanch Henrique D’Mello, the mobile tower was installed without obtaining necessary documents from the panchayat.
D’Mello stated that although the accused had applied for the NOC, the application was rejected when the matter was taken up at a panchayat meeting on grounds that there is a school and a temple in close vicinity of the proposed mobile tower.
“On receiving a complaint from residents of Pale, I immediately inspected the site and issued an order to stop the work. Despite issuing the stop-work order, Surekha Naik illegally carried out installation of the mobile tower,” D’Mello told Herald.
“As Naik failed to comply with the stop-work order, the panchayat then issued a show-cause notice and they produced an NOC purportedly signed by then secretary of the panchayat to install the mobile tower,” said D’Mello.
“However, when we checked our records we found no correspondence registered in the outward book regarding the said NOC. After taking up the matter with the then secretary, the panchayat secretary informed us that he had not issued any NOC and that his signature had been forged,” added D’Mello.
D’Mello stated that the panchayat has filed a police complaint against Naik at the Verna police station and is waiting a reply from the police.
When asked what action would be initiated if Naik failed to remove the tower, D’Mello replied: “We will issue a demolition notice and following the procedure we will remove the tower.”
When contacted, Verna PI Viswesh Karpe confirmed having received the complaint from the Velsao-Pale-Issorcim Panchayat.
“The police have sought original documents of all permissions from the mobile tower company. If the mobile tower company fails to produce the original documents and if there are any discrepancies, a case will be registered against the tower company,” said PI Karpe.
When contacted, Surekha Naik told Herald that the complaint filed against her by the panchayat was false and denied allegations that she had forged the NOC.
“The NOC issued to me by the panchayat is genuine and I will exercise all options
if the panchayat decides to demolish the mobile tower,” she said.
