Under-construction projects deny access to beach, fume Cavelossim-Mobor locals
TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: A storm is brewing in the tourist village of Cavelossim-Mobor with agitated locals demanding opening of all beach accesses blocked by the existing starred resorts and hotel projects in the pipeline.
If the mood at the Sunday gram sabha is any indication, local villagers want the beach access issue to be resolved and taken to its logical conclusion by clearing the obstructions and encroachments and throwing open the accesses for locals and visitors alike. The issue has again come to the fore after two hotel projects, which were approved by the panchayat body in the past, failed to maintain the access to the beach on the ground that the projects were yet to take concrete shape.
Villagers, however, have begged to differ. They contended that the resorts are legally bound to maintain the beach access since their projects have received approval from the panchayat body.
Says a villager, Cruz Cardozo: “The villagers demand is simple ~ the starred resorts, whether existing or in the pipeline, should open and maintain the beach access as per the approved plan. Their argument that they would open the access only after the construction was complete is acceptable. The Panchayat should initiate legal action against all those who have blocked the beach accesses.” “Besides the two projects in the pipeline, which has not opened the beach access, a beach access on the southern side of a starred resort stands blocked”, he said.
Coming under fire from villagers, the panchayat body has decided to write letters to all the hotels and starred resorts on the issue and also seek legal opinion. Says Sarpanch Viola D’Costa: “The panchayat will write letters to the resorts and hotels on the points raised by the gram sabha. We will go through the construction plans and then hold site inspections to verify the access left by the hotels and whether the access conforms to the plan.”
Former sarpanch and panch member, Edwin Barretto said that the panchayat would also approach the Town and Country Planning Department seeking advise on how to go about the matter. “As per the approved plans, the resorts are mandated to maintain the beach access. The resorts, however, say they will maintain the access only after the hotel takes shape. We will seek legal opinion as well as advise from the TCP department, whether the access has to be maintained at the time of issuance of construction license or after the construction of the project,” he observed.
