Dear Editor Request to publish this article with photo if possible SIR.
STEPHEN DIAS DONA PAULA 5.4.2019 An exception to the rule becomes a precedent and precedent becomes, in turn, a vicious circle that leads to illegalities being accorded the status of legality. I am fighting alone on behalf of silent sufferers by raising the issue a number of times either in newspapers or by clicking photos of this ongoing 8-floor high-rise building under construction next door. The high rise building actually tantamouts to an infringement of rules at Bay View, Dona Paula, in spite of sounding out about the illegalities to the ward member, Sarpanch, even ex-Mayor/Commissioner. The 8-floor cum upper ground floor building with swimming pool is coming up on a 500 sq meters plot of land. GOD only knows whether the owner of the adjacent dilapidated building *St Anthony* will eventually be forced to sell off his building to this Non Goan owner. Significantly, it must be noted that the promotor of the project has been intentionally paying house taxes to municipality and not paying tax to the Taleigao Panchayat. This anomaly has been complained about to no avail. The new outline development plan ( ODP) shows this construction as well as mine and others coming under the domain of the Municipality but the Panchayat is unaware of the reorganisation of administration. Apparently, this mechanication is aimed at circumventing the existing regulation and getting a bigger FAR thus violating norms for high rise building. The promotor of the structure has violated norms because he happens to have not only political connection but may be linked to the cash-rich casino lobby, which I understand to get the clients from the new arrival of casino BIG DADDY which is already in Mandovi river. This construction has received all approvals needed from NGPDA, Health services, Fire Dept, Electricity dept, CCP which are displayed on their board, except their licence from Panchayat of Taleigao despite ironically it coming under Taleigao Panchayat jurisdiction. The Sarpanch is a silent spectator despite several complaints to various government department and signed by NIO scientists, residents of Dona Paula, Bay View residents and Our Lady of Rosary school Dona Paula. The inaction is all the more strange despite complaints before the Chief Secretary, High Court, Tourism, GSIDC and others. Needles to say, students of Rosary School will be among the most impacted due to congestion at the slope of Bambolim -Dona Paula road near the Nelson Cabral restaurant where an illegal footpath has come up -- which is another obstruction -- further narrowing this road. Perusal of plans available at NGPDA show the width of this road as 10 meters, whereas in reality its barely 6 meters --allowing just two vehicles to maneuver with difficulty (see photo -- a truck container with steel wires on this road hardly has any space). Dona Paula used to be an idyllic place and a residential area but now with high rise buildings, the area has lost its charm and inherent natural beauty. Will this new Government and new Mayor open their eyes to solve our problem and put a stop to this grotesque construction ? Stephen Dias Dona Paula 9422443110 Sent from my Samsung device