PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the PWD and the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) to carry out restoration work of a hill at Taleigao immediately.
Hearing a writ petition filed by former CCP Mayor Tony Rodrigues against one Estonio Francisco de Almeida for hill cutting and construction of a mansion, the Court granted liberty to NGPDA to withdraw Rs 25 lakh deposited by De Almeida in the Court and further gave liberty to the State and the NGPDA to recover the balance Rs 35 lakh from the respondent under Land revenue Code.
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The Court had earlier directed De Almeida to deposit Rs 60 lakh to restore the hill and to refund the cash amount to the respondent only if the restoration work was completed in accordance with the NGPDA plan and to the satisfaction of the Authority.
But at the same time the division comprising Justices Mahesh Sonak and Valmiki SA Menezes found that De Almeida neither wants to deposit the cash nor wants to take any steps to comply with his solemn undertaking given to the Court. De Almeida had breached the orders of the Court and the undertaking given by him to the Court that he would complete the restoration work as per the NGPDA plan, it said.
After the respondent expressed his inability to deposit Rs 35 lakh, the petitioner’s Adv Rohit Bras De Sa produced photographs of two luxury cars owned by De Almeida and the mansion built by him after unauthorised hill cutting. The court said that both the luxury cars be attached for recovery of Rs 35 lakh.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that the PWD will appoint a contractor for restoration work, to which the Court said that the work completed as soon as possible and before the onset of monsoon. The PWD and NGPDA have been asked to file the first status report by April 22.
Respondent’s Advocate Sahil Sardesai said that attempt would be made to deposit Rs 35 lakh latest by March 4. The matter has now posted for further hearing on March 5.
