Parra locals upset over villa project

Mapusa: The residents of Boquechi Aradi in Parra have strongly opposed the proposed development of residential villas coming up in the village. Terming it as the disastrous project, the villagers have also made a representation to the chief minister requesting him not to allow the project in the village. According to the villagers, the development of residential villas and a swimming pool in survey no.210/28 of Parra has been allowed on the proposed road width of 15m in RP 2021, but the villagers said such a road 'will not be possible even in next 100 years due to the existing houses of Goans along the existing road, which is less than 3m in width'.
"The road cannot be widened to 15m, as the present road is 3m wide and there are houses, chapels, temples, heritage houses along the road. All these structures will have to be demolished to build the 15m wide road to facilitate the construction of residential villas, at the cost of hundreds of Goans," a villager said.
Sources informed that at the time of finalizing the development plan for Parra village for RP 2021, it was decided that the road width of 5m be maintained on account of the existing old settlements and heritage buildings. The plan prepared by the villagers was submitted to the RP task force. According to the villagers, the width of the road is less than 3m at various points, and if the residential villas are allowed to be constructed, people will have to face severe traffic congestions.
"The government is talking about village-level participation, but the wishes of the people were ignored and also the pains taken by those villagers who participated in preparing the plan for Parra village," another villager said.
The villagers in a memorandum to all the concerned authorities have stated that 'the residents of Boquechi Aradi, Parra, do not wish to see heritage being eroded', and have requested the chief minister's intervention in the matter. The villagers want the permission withdrawn or modified.
It may be recalled that the village panchayat of Parra at a gram sabha held on December 1, 2013 has also passed the unanimous resolution that road width of 15 meters at Boquechi Aradi Parra in the final plan submitted by the TCP be reverted back to 5 meters in the new RP 2021, so also the width of the other roads should be reverted back to the original width as per the plan submitted by the village panchayat in April 2009.