Margao: Cavelossim sarpanch Dixon Vaz said that the growing agitation in the village against development and upcoming developmental projects is driven by a political agenda.
He was referring to recent public agitations over projects, as well as issues concerning land use, environmental concerns, regulations pertaining to ‘No Development Zones’ (NDZ) and CRZ regulations.
Vaz said that the recent protests had seen active involvement of Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and alleged that the campaigns were politically designed against development in the village and that local issues must be examined on the basis of facts and records.
He also alleged that there were deliberate attempts to stall development in the village.
Clarifying his and the panchayat’s stand, Vaz said due processes had been followed at the panchayat level with regard to permissions for all ongoing projects.
Regarding the Ashford SCDC Resorts LLP project, Vaz said the proposal concerning the site was received by the panchayat in April 2026 and was subsequently inspected and considered through the panchayat process.
He stated that all seven panchayat members had agreed to the proposal and that it was not an individual decision as was being portrayed by Viegas.
