Team Herald
VASCO: The demolition season at Katem Baina has finally begun, as following directions from the office of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the office of Mormugao Deputy Collector through the office of Mormugao Mamlatdar commenced the process to identify 38 out of total 121 structures at Katem Baina for demolition.
These are a part of total 121 houses, on the owners which the GCZMA had served final demolition order.
On April 13, 2017, the office of Mormugao mamlatdar had served final GCZMA demolition order (dated April 7, 2017) on the 100-odd persons having their structures at Katem Baina and the occupants were asked to demolish their illegal huts/structures and restore the land to its original condition within 15 days time from the date of receipt of order, failing which the Mormugao Deputy Collector was also directed to verify if these illegal structures were demolished and in the event if the same were not removed, then, the deputy collector shall remove the structures within two weeks and to recover the expenses incurred from the parties concerned as the arrears of the land.
Soon after receiving GCZMA’s demolition notice, 68 residents filed independent petitions before High Court of Bombay at Goa challenging GCZMA’s demolition order and 11 independent applications were filed before NGT Pune.
In December 2017, the High Court bench disposed off all the petitions and inter-alia stayed the order of GCZMA for eight weeks and NGT was also pleased to stay demolition order in all 11 applications and the matter is now fixed on January 19, 2018.
In light of the same the GCMZA Member secretary on December 28, 2017 directed the Deputy Collector Mahadev Arundekar to implement GCMZA’s order dated April 7, 2017 against the remaining structures and submit the compliance report at the earliest.
Confirming the news, Arundekar said, “There was order of demolition of 121 structures at Katem Baina out of which 79 people have challenged the order before High court and NGT and obtained stay. Now the GCMZA has directed us to demolish all those remaining structures having no stay by any court. Currently we are identifying these structures and once the process is completed, then, we will immediately request for demolition squad and then demolition will be taken up.”
