To Goanet - Awhile back I had mentioned signs of suspicious activity on the hillock leading to the Chapel of the Mount Mary in Old Goa. This week I was in the area and decided to investigate. I requested the secretary and a panch of the Old Goa panchayat to accompany me on the initial survey and then later in the evening I came back with my camera. Something's amiss in what is classified as an agricultural area, as you will sense in the following photographs.
We begin at the road leading to the Chapel. On the right hand side are signs of a freshly prepared dirt road leading into the forest/ agricultural area - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-1.jpg This dirt road veers to the right where you find evidence of tree cutting. Does this look like an area primed for agricultural activity? http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-2.jpg http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-3.jpg Further up, we come across a clearing, most likely achieved by depleting the existing forest cover. Notice the Chapel of the Mount Mary in the picture so that you have a reference point for the area we are talking about - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-4.jpg In the same clearing, looking towards the horizon - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-5.jpg Now you'll see why this is such a prized property. Peering over the horizon, the Carambolim Lake comes into view. Unfortunately, Madkaikar-bab has intruded on part of the frame with his concrete pile (the same one you saw in Part 2/3 of this series) - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-6.jpg I procured the relevant documents from the Old Goa panchayat through the RTI Act. This "agricultural area" belongs to Shri Terreno Oiteral Real Estate Pvt Ltd. The panchayat has issued a no-objection certificate for "sub Div of land for Agricultural purpose and Amalgamation..." The plans reveal the entire area as parceled into 6 plots, 5 of them 4000 sq metres each and one of 7340 sq metres. Download the documents as a zipped file from - http://www.parrikar.org/images/samples/oldgoa-docs.zip The name of the lady who has signed on behalf of Terreno Oiteral Real Estate Pvt Ltd is seen on scan 05. What exactly is going on here? I suspect a conversion sanad is being prepared even as I type this. Goa seems like a lost cause. Warm regards, r
