Team Herald
MARGAO: Angry villagers gathered at Zilla Panchayat member Nelly Rodrigues’ house at Majorda protesting against the mobile tower being constructed in her backyard in a thickly populated area even as the Majorda, Utorda, Calata panchayat inspected the site in the presence of the company representatives and directed the company to stop work till they get all the necessary documents.
The villagers questioned the speed with which the license was issued to the company and pointed out that while the application was received on February 22, 2017 the license was issued on March 1, 2017 and asserted that they did not want a mobile tower in such a thickly populated area.
Nelly, while terming it as a move by people politically opposed to her said that she had gone in for the mobile tower because of connectivity. “We cannot use our mobiles at home and have to come out to speak,” she said adding that as many people had pointed out to this problem she gave permission to set up the tower in her backyard.
She also pointed out that there are around eight mobile towers existing in the village and many of them are in residential areas. “There is a mobile tower just behind former Sarpanch Visitacao’s house,” she said.
Sarpanch Agnelo Pereira said the panchayat had received two complaints with 110 signatories objecting to the construction of the mobile tower and hence had issued a stop-work order to the company and invited them for the site inspection.
He pointed out that the company failed to produce the permission or license from the Goa Pollution Control Board and Health Department as specified in the permission given by the panchayat. “They also have to submit land conversion sanad as the tower that is a commercial activity is being erected in a settlement zone,” he said.
Neither of the two representatives of the company could produce the documents sought by the panchayat and only had a receipt indicating that they have applied to the Goa State Pollution Control Board for permission and paid the prescribed fees.
Diya Shetkar, an advocate representing the company pointed out that the panchayat permission required them to submit the documents before switching on the tower. However, Agnelo rejected that stand and pointed out to the second clause wherein the company was supposed to submit permissions and licenses from concerned authorities before commencing work.
“As the company has failed to produce the permissions or licenses till date, our stop-work order will remain in force,” he said adding that the panchayat was not indulging in any vendetta against any person.
The advocate said they would submit the documents as demanded by the panchayat as soon as the company gets it from the concerned authorities.
