Believe it or not but the multi dwelling project works, worth over Rs 500 crores, besides other several crucial government projects proposed in Mormugao Taluka are kept in cold storage for the past eight months due to non formation of Authority(Chairman and members) at Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA), pushing the investors on the brink of crises.
Herald investigation revealed that in the month of January this year the then MPDA Chairman and incumbent Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida tendered his resignation to contest the 2017 assembly polls in February and since then there is no authority formed for MPDA. Investigation revealed that for administrative purpose the state administrator has given additional charge (custodian) of MPDA to Senior town planner James Mathew and all MPDA office related issues (clearance of office bills) is now being handled at Mathew’s office in Margao. However, since Mathew is not empowered to clear any Multi-dwelling files, the backlog of project files has been increasing week after week, with investors now questioning the undue delay in formation of the Authority at PDA.
Herald inquiries with builders’ lobby and other property investors from Mormugao taluka revealed that initially they (property investors developers, builders and other building contractors) assumed that the state government would constitute MPDA authority anytime after April 1, 2017 (last MPDA authority term got over on March 31, 2017), but none of them had any clue that it would take so long. Some builders (under condition of anonymity) even complained they are unable to handover the possession of flats to the owners as their file seeking revision of plan is pending before the MPDA and the same needs to be approved only by the Authority which consists of Chairman and PDA members.
“I had promised to hand over the possession of flat by April this year. However, since my file seeking a revised plan is yet to be approved; I am unable to do so. Now the buyers are threatening me that they would drag me to court due to delay. I had never expected that it would take so long for the PDA to form an authority. I feel doing real estate business in Mormugao is no more a friendly and healthy affair and all this because the government is yet to constitute authority at MPDA ” a builder told Herald.
A property developer claimed that his file for subdivision of plots is pending though he has taken advance from the potential buyers who are upset with the delay and are now asking for refund, which is actually a major financial setback.
Surely this undue delay in the appointment of MPDA Chairman and members has left the property investors, developers, builders and other building contractors to face severe financial crises besides hardships. As per the PDA records about 200 files for multi dwelling projects worth over Rs 500 crores, proposed in the villages of Chicalim, Chicolna-Bogmalo, and Sancoale besides multi dwelling projects under Mormugao Municipal Council jurisdiction, are blocked.
Similarly there are also government projects including few crucial ones that are now pending approval and there is no clarity whether government would appoint Chairman and PDA members soon or would continue to delay in filling up vacant positions citing undisclosed reasons.
Another major issue that is directly linked with non-appointment of authority at MPDA is that in absence of MPDA chairman there is no first appellate authority at MPDA to deal with RTIs. This has been affecting day to day operations as already two applicants have dragged MPDA officials to court over some RTI related issues. Surprisingly sources in the state administration informed Herald that the delay is merely because there are many leaders vying for the Chairman post in the MPDA and this has actually created obstacles in the formation of authority at MPDA.
Interestingly apart from citizens and businessman involved in construction business, even the elected leaders from Mormugao Taluka feel that the state government should appoint Authority at MPDA as soon as possible.
“At least over one hundred people have approached me complaining about this delay with five to six persons coming to me every day with similar grievance. I don’t know why the government has been delaying the appointment of MPDA Chairman and members. This should be done on priority as most of the small time builders are facing severe hardships,” said Mormugao MLA Milind Naik who is also a builder by profession.
Raising similar concerns, Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha as well as Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida said that the appointment of MPDA Chairman and members should be done as soon as possible.
