PANJIM: The Government must order an inquiry into the fraudulent attempts by the Town and Country Planning Department to grant approval for Sub Division of land owned by Mr. & Mrs. Harshad Modi for making 77 plots without proposing necessary infrastructure at Curca villege in Tiswadi Taluka behind Holy cross, Bambolim.
The attempts are being made despite the fact that the sub division proposal being rejected earlier by the Deputy Town Planner with a reason that the said property of 55,000 m2 is having a steep slope with a gradient of 28.33% and 26.47%. The illegal act is in complete violations of the rules of the TCP Act.
The government headed by Chief minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and TCP Minister Shri. Babu Kavlekar must stop this illegal act and order and inquiry into the alleged role of the Officials from the TCP Department involved in the fraudulent act by suspending them immediately pending inquiry and keeping all orders in abeyance demanded GPCC President Girish Chodankar in press conference along with spokesmen Tulio D’Souza , Sudin Naik and Mr. Naresh Salgaonkar who obtained RTI documents.
It is surprising that the TCP Minister and the Chief Minister have remained silent despite complaints was lodged with them in June 2020 and have not taken any action so far in this matter. These rampant corrupt deeds are done with the blessing of Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and TCP Minister Chandrakant alias Babu Kavlekar. The permissions are granted by violating building regulations of the TCP Dept and without proper technical studies.
The gross irregularities have come to light after going through the records made available with respect to the sub-division approved in Survey number 20/I-A of Curca village, Tiswadi Taluka obtained under RTI Act The area is a “No Development Zone” under Regional Plan 2021.
It may be noted that in the year 2015 the sub-division proposal was rejected by then Deputy Town Planner and then Chief Town Planner, citing reasons that the said property is having steep slope with a gradient of 28.33% and 26.47%. (Actual gradient required is less than 25%). Taking into consideration the above aspect, the Sub-division of the said land was approved with 17 plots only.
Now after almost 5 years the Officials of the TCP Dept. have granted the approval for sub-division of land for 77 plots in the same property under Survey No. 21/1-A of Curca village without making proper slope analysis in violation of the regulations.
A strong remark in this regard was commended by 16 B committee of TCP Dept, and also by Agriculture Department stating that property bearing Survey No. 21/1 -A of Curca village is having steep slope. Surprisingly, the Tiswadi Taluka office of the TCP Department did not comment anything on prohibition of development in the sloppy area although comments on contour plan were sought specifically from the Tiswadi Taluka office by Chief Town Planner (Planning).
It may be noted that the Conversion Sanad under Ref. No. RB/CNV/TIS/COLL/13/2011, dated 5/10/2011 appears to be issued under Regional Plan 2011 which was scraped by the then government and hence, the said Sanad became null and void. The directions were given to the Collectors to scrap all the Sanads. The Collector North should immediately suspend this sanad pending a proper enquires.
Notwithstanding our contention that the entire project is illegal based on our above contention regarding slope, it is interesting to note a serious contradiction where the note says that the development be restricted to 37,800 m2 as per sanad, the approval plan clearly shows a proposed approval of 55,000 m2.
The Agriculture Department has also given its Report mentioning that the propose area of sub- division admeasuring 37800m2 is a steep slope from West to East and also mentions about various fruit bearing trees and almost 150 forest trees in the said property. RTI reply of forest dept also states.
It appears applicant has not yet obtained permission under 17A of TCP Act and we herby objects to permission issued henceforth under 17A be revoked before proper enquires in the same is completed.
We strongly demand that the Government must revoke the permission issued in the above said property and order an inquiry on all the officials who are involved in this illegalities.
We warned that if governments to act within 2 days, we will move to appropriate court.
Flanked by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar, party spokesman Tulio De Sousa hit out at the Kavlekar led TCP department for its rampant and mass conversions carried out during the Covid 19 pandemic, notwithstanding the economic crisis that the State is going through. “Kavlekar has resorted to having regular meetings of the TCP Board with an objective of destroying Goa`s fields and hills. Looking at the huge advertisements appearing in the newspapers, huge tracks of lands are being converted, contrary to what the Kavlekar has been saying.”
Tulio reminded the minister that there is an interim order of the High Court in the Petition of 44/2018, where all the above decisions are subject to the final outcome of the petition.
“The unsuspecting applicants are cautioned not to fall prey to the minister’s gimmicks. It is also surprising that the government has provisionally notified the ODP of Arpora, Nagoa and Parra with the sole objective of increasing the FAR and converting these pristine villages into a concrete jungle.”
If the government doesn’t pay heed to the people’s voices, they will be forced to come on the streets to oppose such anti people decisions, Tulio said.
