PANAJI: CM Pramod Sawant on Thursday directed the town and country planning (TCP) minister Vishwajit Rane to scrap the Bhutani project at Sancoale if the different permissions given to the project are not proper.
Sawant said that he will suggest to TCP that all files related to permissions for mega projects should come to the chief minister as projects are connected with various departments. Reacting to the people’s demand to scrap the Bhutani project, the CM said that in the past couple of days, state has witnessed various agitations over the upcoming project and the issue was even raised during the monsoon session of the assembly.
Sawant said that practically no file related to any proposed mega or small project comes to the chief minister, the chief minister’s office, or any department which is with the chief minister.
“Considering the documents which have been viral on social media, it appears that the issue related to this project has been going on since 2007. I have given instructions to the TCP minister that in case the permissions given to this project, like land conversion, other approvals and environmental clearance to the mega project, are not proper, then revoke those permissions and let the project close. We don’t want such projects which create problems for the people,” the CM said.
Sawant said that being the chairman of the steering committee of TCP, he will call a meeting, which has not been held for a long time.
“At the steering committee meeting, I will suggest that permissions related to mega projects should come to the chief minister as the permissions are inter-departmental. Such projects require water and sewerage treatment among others as all departments have to be taken onboard,” Sawant said.
PDA issues notice to developer
Within a few hours of the direction from TCP minister Vishwajit Rane to the Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) to verify all details related to the Bhutani project at Sancoale, the MPDA issued a show cause notice to the project proponent, questioning why action should not be taken against them for violating the conditions of the permission.
“You (Parmesh Construction Company Ltd, Noida, UP and Parmesh Construction Company Ltd, Panaji) are hereby directed to show cause within 7 days why the development permission should not be revoked,” MPDA member secretary Sanjay Halornekar said in the show cause notice.
“The permissions for this project were granted before my tenure as TCP minister. However, in response to the concerns and agitation expressed by the people of Sancoale and Goa, I instructed the member secretary to issue the show cause notice based on the representations we have received,” Rane said.
The show cause notice said that it is seen from the office records that the width of access shown to the property is only 7m, whereas the actual width required for the proposed development is 10m. Thus, the width of the access as shown to the property is not in compliance with the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010, to permit the development as proposed.
“As seen from the drawings submitted at the time of the grant of development permission under Section 44, it is seen that the building project and the accessibility shown to the buildings within the plot shall require cutting of hilly land, i.e, land having a gradient of more than 1:10 as defined in the TCP Act. In such instances, prior permission of the chief town planner (landuse) needs to be obtained, which you have failed to obtain, thereby violating condition No. 11 of the development permission,” Halornekar said.
“We have instructed the MPDA to conduct a thorough verification of all details regarding the representations received about the Bhutani project in Sancoale,” Rane said.
TCP has forwarded the complaint received from Socorin Marques and Piedade D’Mello to MPDA. The complaint alleged that Bhutani Infra has grabbed and encroached upon their property.
Rane said that no hill-cutting permissions have been granted to the Bhutani company by the TCP department as yet. Sancoale residents had urged chief minister Pramod Sawant to revoke the permission given to the Bhutani Infra project in the village.
On Sunday, a large number of locals from across Sancoale threatened to launch a statewide agitation if govt failed to revoke the project, which they fear will cause environmental damage to their village. Agitated residents alleged that despite their objections at various gram sabha meetings, the panchayat had cleared the project.
