---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further
environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa
http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anjuna locals demand probe into ‘farm houses’
HERALD REPORTER
Anjuna locals demand probe into ‘farm houses’
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 29
Members and supporters of Anjuna Rakhon Manch (ARM) and concerned
citizens from Anjuna marched to Panjim demanding an inquiry into
approvals granted for “farm houses” atop a hill at Grande Peddem-Anjuna.Coming
in bus-loads, the villagers led a morcha to the North Goa
Collector Mihir Vardhan and also marched to the offices of Forest,
Panchayats, Mines and Vigilance, highlighting the approvals given to
the projects which they claimed was done fraudulently.
Prominent among those who participated in the agitation included
President of ARM Rumauldo Fernandes, Fr Orlando Lopes, Fr Maeverick,
Danson D’Souza, Vatu Govekar, Alex Ramos (both ex-sarpanchs), Rajan
Ghate (NYC), Lydia D’Souza, Agatha Coutinho, Royce Fernandes, Pedro
Mendonza, Agnel D’Souza among others
When they went to the Collectorate, the North Goa Collector spoke to
the Deputy Collector, Bardez and asked him to inquire into the issues
raised by the villagers, Fernandes and Ghate told the media.
They said they visited various departments because the departments
concerned had granted approvals after which the local panchayat had
issued building permission for farm houses in property bearing No 12/0
of village of Anjuna-Caisuva, to Panorma Harvest Collective Farming
Society Ltd.
In the representation submitted to the North Goa Collector, they
pointed out that the area where the construction has been allowed had
been marked as No Development Zone in the draft Regional Plan 2021. At
the gram sabha held on 5th March 2009, the same property being a
hillock had been stated as NDZ and reserved area but the village
panchayat passed plans and issued permission on 9-6-2009, 12-08-2009
and 18-8-2009 which was in total violation of recommendation of RP 2021
which the panchayat itself had forwarded to the government.
The property in question comprises a hill having steep slope on three
sides, the representation said adding towards the south is the hill of
Baga-Arpora which many a politicos are eying.The property had no motorable road
until recently when a 10-metre road
has been made when roads in the tourists interest do not even have
5-metre roads.
The villagers have said that though the promoters are talking about
farm houses, the plans submitted to the panchayat indicate that the
ground-plus one storied building look like bungalows (penthouse suites)
with parking shown as tractor parking “as a camouflage”. The area is
not subdivided officially but is divided on paper into 39 plots, they
pointed out.
The property, the protestors claimed had been a matter of dispute since
the promulgation of survey records in 1972 and later in 1992 when three
names were entered as tenants who subsequently acquired the property.
The villagers have questioned the action and purchase, if officially
done, whether it was permissible under the Tenancy Act. The have
demanded an inquiry into this aspect too.
Mamlatdar of Bardez G J Shankwalkar has said in response to a RTI query
that the mutation field asked for by the applicant, is not avaialbel in
the office raisng more suspicion in the matter.
http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Local%20News/Anjuna-locals-demand-probe-into-lsquo-farm-houses-rsquo/35249.html
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mob: 9420979201
_________________________________________________________________
The latest songs, trailers and more
http://video.in.msn.com/
