Team Herald
MARGAO: Carmona panchayat secretary Krishna Dessai, after a marathon meeting with Carmona villagers at the panchayat ghar on Wednesday, claimed that he had been misguided into giving the construction licence to Rahejas.
In response to the villagers’ demand that the licence be revoked immediately, he assured to call for a special panchayat meeting, where they could place their objections. He also stated that he found their objections satisfactory and that he would be meeting the Salcete Block Development Officer (BDO) on Thursday with a delegation of Carmona locals for advice on if he could immediately issue a stop work order to Rahejas.
A day after the BDO issued a show cause notice to the secretary and a police complaint was filed against the panchayat, Dessai arrived at the BDO office at noon even as Carmona locals waiting at the panchayat since 10 am.
The secretary had asked for police protection, but was assured on the phone by locals that no harm would come to him. He arrived at the panchayat ghar in the afternoon in the presence of police and three panchas: former sarpanch Lavita Dias, Prisco Rodrigues and Carlos Jorge.
From 3 to 6 pm, the Carmona village committee (CVC) questioned Dessai on why he had ignored the objections of the villagers and panchas Rodrigues and Jorge. After he was shown the objections, Dessai said he had been misguided in view of the earlier panchayat resolutions that had said there were no issues whatsoever.
When grilled on why he had not signed the attendance register, he revealed that he had visited the office that day only to sign the construction licence.
Dessai was criticised for forgetting to sign the register, for not informing the panchayat or his higher-up about his movements, for leaving the panchayat non-functional during his absence, and for issuing the construction licence before receiving the fees from Rahejas.
In the morning, many Carmona locals had also complained that several of their NOCs for water connections or certificates had been pending before the panchayat for over a week.
When informed about the recorded objections to the size of the road, the secretary defended himself by stating that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department had given the clearance. The locals reminded him that the senior town planner had blamed the panchayat for not checking the road size.
Additionally, after the secretary admitted his failure to look at the resolution submitted by the people and written complaint by panch Rodrigues, the locals reminded him that Rodrigues had submitted a second complaint asking for another inspection of the road size.
The locals asked Dessai to show them the survey plan and site plan and questioned how he had not objected when the two plans did not tally, i.e. both plans did not show the existence of the cross. They also showed that the conditions on the sanad for renewal had expired, besides a host of other discrepancies like road size, FAR, recreational activities shown on open space where no development can take place under CRZ.
The correspondence of deputy sarpanch Orlando Da Silva was shown to the secretary, who was then asked why he was trying to protect the same people who had blamed him for issuing the construction licence. However, the secretary refuted Orlando’s statement about not knowing when the construction licence had been issued. He claimed that Orlando was in the know.
Dessai said he would visit the panchayat on Thursday to meet the BDO and Carmona delegation.
Meanwhile, Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva stated that he had met the panchayat minister, who was asked to revoke the licence.
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Access to my property has been blocked, claims complainant
MARGAO: The Town and Country Planning (TCP) department and panchayat’s decision to grant the construction license to Rahejas will again be called into question as a complaint filed with the panchayat on Wednesday claimed that the Raheja project had blocked all access to the property of Angelo Machado.
Angelo, who attended the prayer service at the Raheja property on Wednesday, showed the locals how his property, which lies between the disputed project and River Sal, is now landlocked.
“The panchayat secretary should revoke the licence as there is clause that traditional access should not be blocked,” said Carmona village committee president Blair Rodrigues, who added that they will raise his complaint with the secretary.
