MOPA: Taking cognisance of objection raised by Mopa link road affected farmers, the Warkhand Nagzar Village Panchayat on Thursday issued show cause cum stop work notice to the contractor engaged in the work.
In the notice, the panchayat has served a seven-day deadline to furnish copies of permission/licences of all the relevant documents such as Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, Forest Clearance, sanad of the property received for the ongoing development works failing which action as contemplated under sub-Sections 4 and 66 will be initiated under the provisions of The Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and the relevant law in force.
The panchayat issued the stop work notice under Section 64s (1) (J), 66 and 68 of Goa Panchavat Raj Act, 1994 R/W Regulation 23 of Goa Land Development and Building Regulation. 2010.
The notice stated that panchayat received complaints of illegal destruction of plantation and the developmental work carried out for the Mopa Airport link road and gross violation of the direction issued by the Supreme Court of India in the matter of M.A. No. 965/2019 in Civil Appeal No. 12251 of 2018 and also vide direction from the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay at Panjim.
The panchayat further stated that before commencement of any construction development work, it is mandatory that prior permission be obtained from the Village Panchayat u/s 66(1) and section 68 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and further, Regulation 23 of the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulation, 2010 stipulates that "all government department and government undertaking for the construction of buildings land development including sub-division of land shall inform the competent authority in writing of the intention to carry out and development and submit all plans as required under Regulation 3.2 and obtain building licence from local bodies."
A copy of the show cause cum stop work notice has also been submitted to chief engineer of National Highway and Public Works Department, Director of Civil Aviation and Superintendent of Police, North.
Warkhand Nagzar Sarpanch Sanjay Tulaskar said, “As assured, the panchayat has issued show cause cum stop work notice to the contractor who has undertaken the work of link road and copies are also inwarded to the office of Directorate of Civil Aviation, Chief Engineer PWD and National Highway asking to produce licence and other documents of this project within seven days and till then the work of the link road should be stopped.”
Tulaskar added, "If the contractor continues the work of link road, then again we will come to the site and stop the work.”