MARGAO
Curtorim witnessed an uproar as local villagers cried foul over felling of some teak and other trees in the property of the leprosy hospital in the village, even as the panchayat members demanded a detailed probe to bring the culprits responsible to book.
What has given a twist to the episode is reports that a police vehicle was seen stationed at the site on Sunday evening, raising question amongst the villagers whether the trees were cut to make way for a police quarters, a proposal that has come under strong opposition from the local populace.
A delegation comprising Sarpanch Rupesh Naik, panch members Simon Barretto and Winnie Fernandes visited the spot along with some villagers after they were informed of the tree felling inside the leprosy hospital complex on Sunday evening.
The sarpanch also called the Curtorim Primary Health Centre representatives to the site, who later told the Panchayat members that the health authorities have not issued any permission for the cutting of the trees in the leprosy hospital complex.
Panch member Simon told the media after the inspection that at least three teak trees, valued at around Rs five lakh, may have been lifted away from the spot, adding that other trees were also felled in the operation. “We have informed the forest officials about the incident.
All we want to know is whether the trees were felled with due permission or in violation of the forest rules in place,”
he said.
Simon pointed out that one of the villagers had noted down the registration number of the police vehicle at the spot. The police have been asked to the track down the vehicle.
He said the forest department and the police should find out whether the tree felling had the permission of the authorities. “We aren’t sure whether the police department has chopped down the trees to make way for the proposed police quarters,” Simon said, adding that the villagers are firmly opposed to the construction of the police quarters in the said property.
“It is surprising that the police department has mooted a plan to construct a police quarters in Curtorim when the Goa police has failed to build an independent police station building for
Maina-Curtorim till date. Land for the construction of the Maina-Curtorim police station at Sonsodo was acquired years ago, but the building is yet to take shape,” he said, while saying that villagers of Curtorim are opposed to the proposal to build the police quarters in the property of the leprosy hospital.
