Raheja wants to develop Carmona under Corporate Social Responsibility

Claiming that the Raheja Universal Pvt Ltd has obtained all the necessary permissions from the concerned authorities to its “low-density development of 88 residential units having row houses in Carmona,” the associate vice-president of Raheja, Kamal Khemani appealed to the local panchayat to issue construction licence to them so as to carry out parallel developmental work in the village under Corporate Social Responsibly.

The villagers of Carmona have opposed the mega project citing reasons of narrow approached roads, lack of infrastructure and, above all, that it would change the village topography.

“Since I am the owner of the land, I should have the right to develop it. I wanted to grow with the village and hence appeal to the panchayat to grant the construction licence since all the other authorities like the TCP, Goa State Pollution Control Board and Health have given us the licences,’’ Khemani said, addressing the media in Margao on Tuesday.

Asked what would be his future course of action in the case, if the village panchayat denies the licence, Khemani said he would knock the doors of the director of panchayats to get the licence, “but then there would not be CSR activity in the village.”  According to the Raheja official, the firm has planned out Rs 3.5 crore-worth development in the village.

Asked to explain why the locals are opposing the project, Khemani said he does not know anything about it, adding there may be a section of the people who is opposing it.  “I read about it only in the newspapers,’’ he added. Khemani emphasised that the project would be a self-sufficient one and would not take a toll on the village infrastructure. “We will be having a sewage treatment plant, low-flow CP fixtures with own transformer and solar street lighting at the site,’’ he added.

Interestingly, the issue will be discussed at the Sunday gram sabha. “If I am called for the gram sabha I will definitely participate,’’ he added.

-GOACOM