PANJIM: The Directorate of Panchayats on Friday completed hearing arguments in the Mopa link road case and posted the matter for final orders on Friday, April 1. Till then the ex parte stay order issued by the Directorate will continue.
On Friday, the appellant Ashoka Buildcon Limited did not file rejoinder and instead submitted memo of documents such as environmental clearance (EC) and permission granted by the Forest Department.
The appellant contended that the Warkhand-Nagzar Village Panchayat had no powers to issue stop work order and denied that any construction activity was going on at the proposed Mopa link road site.
On the other hand, arguing on behalf of the Warkhand-Nagzar Village Panchayat, Adv Prasad Shahpurkar claimed that as per the Goa Panchayati Raj Act, the village panchayat has powers to issue stop work order whether the construction is legal or illegal. A villager Saju Tulaskar, who had earlier filed a caveat application however did not file intervention application and supported the respondent.
On February 28, the Director of Panchayat Siddhi Halarnkar by an ex-parte order had stayed the stop work order issued by the Warkhand-Nagzar Village Panchayat to the contractors. The work of construction of the link road to the Mopa Greenfield Airport is facing stiff opposition from four villages of Tulaswadi, Dhargal, Warkhand and Nagzar through which the road is passing. The villagers, who are mostly farmers are demanding that the road work be stopped and the land be reverted to them.