Calangute: Saligao residents have alleged that despite pointing out structural violations and misrepresentation of facts in the construction of a 24-apartment residential project at Bairo Alto Vaddo, authorities, including the town and country planning (TCP) department, Saligao village panchayat and the local MLA, have repeatedly failed to conduct a site inspection.“They are simply avoiding taking any action. If this project is legal, they would not have been evasive,” the residents said.Residents expressed anger after a scheduled joint inspection on Friday was cancelled. Gathering at the construction site, they said they have been urging authorities for nearly a year to halt the ongoing work, but construction has continued unabated. A joint inspection by the TCP, village panchayat and health department was scheduled for Friday, but residents said the village panchayat informed them after they reached the site that it had been cancelled.According to the village panchayat, the senior town planner, Mapusa, in a letter dated July 1, said the purpose of the proposed inspection and details of the technical clearances obtained had not been clearly specified. The panchayat was advised to deal with the matter in accordance with the provisions of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act.Agitated residents said, “On May 26, we had written to our MLA Kedar Naik and he said he would intervene and take necessary action. What action has he taken? People had voted for Congress MLA, but he’s betrayed his voters and joined the BJP for development of Delhi builders.”Residents had also written to the Bardez block development officer (BDO) on June 16, alleging “structural violations and misrepresentation of facts in the residential housing project at survey no. 30/6-A, Bairo Alto Vaddo, Saligao”, and sought a joint site inspection and a stop-work order.In response, the BDO directed the Saligao village panchayat to examine the site inspection report, verify the facts, take action in accordance with the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and submit an action taken report within 15 days, while informing the complainant.
