Panaji: Residents of Palem-Siridao, led by St. Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, staged an indefinite sit-in at the Town and Country Planning (TCP) office to oppose land use changes for Survey Nos. 42/1, 42/2, and surrounding plots approved under Section 39A.
The villagers demanded the immediate revocation of the zone change, citing threats to their ancestral land, the 6th-century Mhatarechi Homti cave, and the local ecosystem. They allege that past illegal construction and deliberate forest fires have already damaged the area.
MLA Viresh Borkar stated, We will not stop until this notification is revoked and Section 39A is scrapped. Protestors have made it clear they will not vacate the TCP premises until their demands are met.
