Public Grievance held by TCP

Orlim locals voice grievances against builder

HERALD REPORTER

MARGAO, APRIL 22
Agitated Orlim villagers on Thursday questioned the Town and Country Planning Department for dragging their feet in booking a mega housing project builder for allegedly filling up agricultural land.
The villagers conveyed their sentiments to Senior Town Planner S T Puttaraju at the second round of hearing of public grievances called by the TCP here this morning.
As the villagers sought to know the delay by the TCP in initiating action against the builder, Puttaraju assured that the TCP would look into the matter and take suitable action at the earliest.
The villagers, however, told him to act as per the Act saying the department had turned a blind eye to the illegalities despite being intimated of the violations by the builder since 2008.
The attention of the Senior Town Planner was drawn by the villagers that the Fabrica of Orlim has lodged a strong protest with the TCP with evidence of the builder allegedly trespassing into the Fabrica property. The villagers, however, lamented that a police complaint made nearly eight months ago has evoked no action from the men-in-uniform till date.
A villager Patric Cardozo stated that the builder has revised the plans to get certain licences passed by some departments, adding that this was done without putting the revised plan to the Panchayat for approval first as ought to be the case.
Saying that the builder has misrepresented facts and shown a proposed 8 mts wide road, the villagers further questioned the TCP as to who has proposed the eight meter wide road since it was not put up to the Panchayat or discussed at any meeting of the gram sabha.
Meanwhile, Puttaraju told newsmen that the TCP would investigate into the facts made out by Fabrica with the help of the survey department.
He said his office will take a decision on the dispute over the proposed eight meter road by going through the facts placed by both the parties.