Team Herald
PANJIM: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Amit Palekar, who was on indefinite hunger strike seeking action against the alleged illegal construction in the protected area of Old Goa Heritage site, has now served notice to Old Goa Panchayat demanding demolition of the bungalow, owned by husband of BJP Spokesperson Shaina NC.
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Palekar has also written to Director General of Police (DGP), Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Vigilance Department to register an FIR against all the concerned government officials involving in granting fraudulent permissions to the project.
The Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) through its order dated November 30, had revoked the technical clearance granted to the project and on December 3, it had asked Old Goa Panchayat to take necessary action.
Earlier, the TCP had issued a revocation order; later, on St Francis Xavier feast day, it had directed Old Goa Panchayat to take the required action in relation to the revocation order and licences issued to the owner, stated Palekar. The Village Panchayat of Se Old Goa had also issued a show cause notice to Jose Maria de Gouveia de Pinto, the original owner of the land that the structure stands on.
“You (village panchayat) are empowered under Section 66 of the Act, to take action against the illegal structure. In fact you are duty bound not to allow illegal structures to come up within your jurisdiction, yet a huge structure has been allowed to come up within a protected site and UNESCO World Heritage Site, right in front of your eyes,” Palekar said in the notice.
“Now that the TCP has revoked the permissions, it is your bounden duty under the Act, to act swiftly and take immediate action in the matter and seek demolition of the illegal structure,” he added.
Palekar has urged the panchayat to call for immediate meeting and pass a resolution to demolish the structure.
“Any undue delay shall be considered as your (panchayat) in action and shall prompt me to seek criminal proceedings,” he warned.
He said that neither he nor people of Goa shall rest until the offending illegal structure which has sought to destroy the heritage of Goa is razed to the ground and heritage is restored.
