Focus shifts to whether GCZMA will penalise him over Cavelossim NDZ violation amid reports that authority has discharged show cause notice
The road constructed by ex-cricketer Ashish Nehra in the NDZ zone at Cavelossim finally removed and the rubble stones stacked at the site.
MARGAO
The road construction in No Development Zone by former India cricketer Ashish Nehra at Cavelossim village is back in the news, this time with the Cavelossim Panchayat inspecting the land in question after the cricketer’s Power of Attorney claimed that the road has been dismantled and the land restored back.
Questions, however, remains unanswered – whether the cricketer will escape the NDZ violation sans any penal action as reports suggest that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has discharged the show cause notice issued to him in the matter after he complied by removing the violation falling in his area. And, who will lift away the heap of rubble stones found dumped in the NDZ after the road was dismantled by the parties in question.
Cavelossim panchayat team led by Sarpanch Dixon Vaz, ward Panch member Jesus D’Costa and panchayat secretary inspected the property owned by Nehra after his representatives informed the Panchayat that they have complied with the directions contained in the show cause notice, including removal of the road in question.
After the inspection, Sarpanch Dixon informed that the inspection report will be placed before the forthcoming Panchayat body meeting for information of the members and further action. “We have inspected the land in question after Nehra’s representatives informed the Panchayat that they have complied with the direction to remove the road. We have come on the ground for first hand information. He has removed the road, some work is still remaining. The rubble stones are dumped in the area. The matter will be discussed at the Panchayat meeting for further action”, he said.
To a question, Dixon said the Panchayat will write to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) on the matter. “Let us wait and see what GCZMA has to say about the matter, whether it will take any further action, including penalty”, Dixon said.
Cavelossim Panchayat member Jesus D’Costa said the panchayat had issued the notice to the ex-India cricketer over the road construction, but hastened to add that vested interests tried to tarnish the panchayat. "The road has been removed. They have removed the stones and dumped it at one place. We will discuss the issue at the Panchayat meeting”, Jesus added.
The Cavelossim Panchayat had come under the eye of a storm over the construction of a road in the NDZ area allegedly by the ex-India cricketer in the village. What had infuriated the villagers was the fact that the road construction has come months after they had complained of vegetation and trees set afire in the area, and alleged tampering of sand dunes. In fact, leave alone action in the matter of fire to vegetation and sand dune tampering, villagers had directed their ire at the Panchayat for going slow against the ex-India cricketer.
When Sarpanch Dixon had tried to ward off the attack by insisting the Panchayat had issued a stop notice to the Power of Attorney holder in August 2024 to stop the work, the villagers had questioned over the road construction work in the NDZ.
