TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Government’s plan to acquire massive land admeasuring nearly 1.5 lakh sq mts in Margao and Fatorda, including a controversial proposal from Goa Housing Board to acquire 35,000 sq mts of private property in settlement zone at Arlem, has stirred a hornet’s nest.
The four land acquisition proposals came up for consideration at Tuesday’s meeting of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), even as the PDA outright rejected two, while recording its observations in the remaining two proposals.
While PDA sources said that the proposal to acquire land admeasuring 50,000 sq mts of land at Colmorod for a sports complex was okayed with an observation that the land is low lying, the Goa Housing Board proposal and another proposal to acquire 50,000 sq mts of land at Rawanfond did not find favour with the PDA.
PDA member Vijai Sardessai told the media after the meeting that the PDA was not in favour of the Housing Board proposal to acquire the private property admeasuring 35,000 sq mts located in a settlement zone. “The PDA had in the past okayed the change in zone to settlement. How can the GHB acquire the land owned by a private party. This certainly is not in tune with the normal land acquisition standards. It appears to be a clear case of harassment,” Sardessai said.
He said the PDA also rejected a proposal from an Aquem-based educational institution for land admeasuring 50,000 sq mts at Rawanfond on grounds that the land in question is a low-lying area.
As far as the Sports Authority of Goa’s proposal for acquisition of land at Colmorod-Navelim is concerned, Sardessai said the PDA was not in favour of the government acquiring the land since it is low lying. Though PDA Chairman Rajan Naik said the Navelim MLA is ready to get NOC for the project, he said the PDA has observed that filling of low-lying fields would result in flooding.
Similarly, Sardessai said the PWD has proposed a road bisecting the proposed Fatorda lake, which he said, was okayed as the road alignment will not affect the proposed lake project.
PDA sources said the Town and Country Planning Department had sent the land acquisition proposals to the PDA for NOCs and observations before the government goes ahead with the acquisition.
