Tuem, Sept. 29: The Village Panchayat of Tuem has come under scrutiny after its own certified proceedings revealed that construction licences for residential projects with swimming pools were approved despite objections that the village’s carrying capacity had not yet been assessed.

While considering a proposal for a residential house, swimming pool and compound wall in Survey No. 269/1-A-1, Panchayat members Anil S. Harmalkar and Uday K. Mandrekar objected, specifically recording that the carrying capacity report/study of Tuem had neither been received nor prepared and that the village’s carrying capacity should be ascertained before permitting construction.

The objection was officially recorded. However, Sarpanch Anita Salgaonkar, Deputy Sarpanch Manohar Pednekar and three other members supported the licence, resulting in the resolution being passed 5–2 on the basis of statutory permissions obtained by the applicant.

The documents further reveal proposals involving multiple residential houses and swimming pools in Survey Nos. 257/1, 269/1-A-1, 269/1-A-3 and 269/1-A-4. One proposal by M/s Parinaaz Project Reality Four LLP refers to houses numbered 1A to 1P, while another refers to houses 2A to 2S, along with swimming pools.

Though the properties lie in the Pernem area, they fall within the revenue village of Tuem, making their cumulative impact on water, roads, sewage, waste management and other village infrastructure an important issue.

The Panchayat now faces a basic question: If Tuem’s carrying capacity had not been determined, on what basis were construction licences for projects involving numerous houses and swimming pools approved?

The issue is particularly significant because the warning did not come from activists or outsiders—it was raised by elected Panchayat members and recorded in the Panchayat’s own proceedings.