Telugu actor Nagarjuna involved in major illegal construction on forest land, hill cutting, destroying trees and environment in Goa

PANAJI: Popular Telugu actor Nagarjuna aka Nagarjuna Rao Akkineni has been accused of illegal construction, illegal digging activity on hilly forested land, hill cutting, which is prohibited by law unless special permissions are obtained from the TCP (Town and Country Planning department), destroying or cutting down of trees, shrubbery and vegetation and other environmentally harmful activity, by the Village Panchayat of Mandrem, a source told this reporter.

The Sarpanch of Mandrem village panchayat Amit Sawant when contacted said no permission was obtained from the concerned authorities and when a site visit was conducted, they noticed that the construction activity was on hilly and forested land and the hilly area was dug up.

“We have issued a notice as no permission for any construction activity was obtained from the Village Panchayat. We will also contact the Goa Forest department to ascertain the exact status of the land and if it falls in the ‘protected forest area’ further action under the Forest Act will be taken. An official site inspection will be conducted in the next two days,” the sarpanch told IndyaTv.

Several attempts to contact actor Nagarjuna were futile as he did not respond to our repeated requests for comment.

Stop work notice issued to Telugu actor Nagarjuna by village panchayat of Mandrem, Goa

IndyaTv has accessed various photographs and videos of the site where the illegal activity was going on and it is very evident that the plot of land is hilly in nature with a large gradient on which hill cutting is prohibited by law. Further the plot seems to fall within semi-forested zone (at first look) where permissions of the Union Environment Ministry are required for construction.

An IndyaTv reporter inspected the site and spoke to locals from Mandrem village who claimed that the construction workers and others involved indulged in dadagiri and goondagiri  and even threatened the villagers who asked them for their papers and permissions. They villages were abused and threatened by the people supervising the digging activity, a villager said.

Apparently, the construction has the blessings of a powerful Goan politician who is apparently supporting Nagarjuna to indulge in the illegal construction, hill cutting, tree cutting without fear of the law. The plot of land is jointly owned by the politician and Nagarjuna, though the same may not reflect in the land records. Nagarjuna is one of the investors, while the “powerful Goan politician” is providing the muscle power and local back up for the blatantly illegal construction, a Mandre villager said.

According to initial reports, the panchayat in North Goa Wednesday issued a ”stop work” notice to well-known Telugu actor Nagarjuna over the alleged illegal construction and excavation work at Mandrem village in North Goa for which no permissions were sought.

According to a PTI report, the Mandrem Panchayat sarpanch Amit Sawant issued the notice under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994. As per the notice, the respondent has been involved in illegal activity in the village jurisdiction and has been ordered to immediately cease and desist from the illegal activity.

The hilly terrain very visible from the photographs of the site/plot where the digging and construction activity is going on at Mandrem in Goa

“Whereas it is noticed by this Panchayat that you are doing alleged illegal construction and excavation, in property bearing survey no. 211/2 B at Ashvewada, Mandrem, village without obtaining prior permission from the competent authorities and this Panchayat,” the notice reads.

The Panchayat warned of necessary action under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 if the work is not stopped immediately.

(with inputs from PTI)