RESIDENTS of Simla in Lautoka are gearing up for a peaceful protest march and potential legal action following a controversial decision to rezone a residential area for a new shopping mall, says Lautoka Residents and Ratepayers Association president Narayan Reddy.
The said property is located at Covuli St, Lautoka.
Mr Reddy said many were concerned over procedural irregularities and a severe lack of transparency via a comprehensive consultation.
“An initial application to convert the residential land to commercial use was firmly rejected by both the Lautoka City Council and the Department of Town and Country Planning,” he said.
“Despite this rejection, the council published an advertisement claiming the commercial rezoning had received full approval from both authorities.”
Under standard regulations, Mr Reddy said bypassing a formal appeal process involving the council, the department, and an independent tribunal was prohibited.
“When the association requested a written explanation, the special administrator failed to provide a formal response. Instead, he made phone calls claiming the decision rested solely with the Department of Town Country and Planning, contradicting the council’s own public notice.”
Mr Reddy said the project sat directly adjacent to the city centre making the construction of the proposed shopping mall unnecessary
“The community is taking a stand because of unanswered questions and a general lack of accountability from authorities.
“We consider this rezoning process unlawful and are fully prepared to take the matter further, including pursuing legal action in court if necessary.”
Lautoka Board of Special Administrators chair Taitusi Rasoki said the council could only facilitate the planning of the project, however, it was not at liberty to approve the project.
Mr Rasoki referred further queries regarding the project to the Department of Town and Country Planning.
Questions sent to Director of Town and Country Planning Mohammed Ziar regarding the concerns raised remain unanswered.
