http://www.oheraldo.in/newscategory/Middle/274 The decision of the Goa government to arbitrarily grant licences to the Raheja mega-project in Carmona when the matter is before the District Court is nothing but dictatorship and political hubris. The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department has issued the final NOC for Raheja to develop approximately 88,000-odd sq metres on the banks of the Sal, sub-divided into 15 plots, with the condition that no secondary permission will be granted unless land for a 10-metre access road is acquired and built. As per a circular dated 29 August 2008 issued by the same department under the directives of the Chief Minister, a mandatory road must be physically present at the site, even while granting the conversion sanads, and much before any physical development. The question is, has our CM done this to save his government owing to Churchill Alemao’s blackmailing tactics? The people of Carmona unanimously opposed the project by a gram sabha resolution on 30 March 2007. The village Regional Plan committee also resolved to oppose widening of internal village roads beyond 5 metres width. On 7 February, a fresh letter was written to all the above authorities, informing them about the revision petition filed before the district court at Margao, and warning that any decision in violation would amount to contempt of court. But none of them has replied. The Rahejas have violated the Forest Act by destroying all the private forest. They have been fined by the Forest Department. They have violated the Environment Act by laying an RCC sewage pipeline to drain waste into the river Sal. They have violated the Town and Country Planning Act by developing plots in the non-development (CRZ) zone. I want to ask the following questions to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and PWD Minister Churchill Alemao: (1) When there is no possibility of a 10-metre road being built unless people’s houses and compounds are demolished, where the promised 10-metre road come from? (2) Are rules and regulations applicable only to the ‘aam admi’ and not to Raheja? The ‘aam admi’ has to take Forest Dept permission to cut even one tree and follow TCP rules to construct even a small residential house. (3) Can the government acquire and broaden the existing road to 10-metres width? This road was earlier acquired under an award dated 21 July 2000, to be six metres wide. (4) Who are the beneficiaries of this mega project? Our MLA Churchill Alemao says this project will create jobs. The jobs offered may be of security personnel and domestic servants. Goa is a highly educated state; who would want their children to take up these jobs? (5) The Rahejas have laid a cement pipeline to discharge waste into the river Sal. The River Sal is a source of ground water recharge for the locality; our wells are recharged by this river. It is also source of marine food for locals. (6) Carmona village has very little land for housing; most of the land is agricultural. Where will future generations get land for housing if builders are allowed to flout all rules and regulation for huge commercial projects? (7) Can anyone cite one single way in which this project will benefit locals and their future generations?
