Team Herald
VASCO: The residents of the hutments on Baina beach have urged the State administration to defer the demolition of their structures, which has been slated for Saturday, and also reiterated their stand to support the Baina beautification project.
Threatening to agitate during the demolition, they warned that the government, and not they, would be held responsible for any law and order situation.
On Thursday, the State administration decided to demolish all 157 structures at Baina beach, while the residents alleged that the decision was taken on the sly for ulterior motives.
Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference on Friday, the hutment dwellers accused Power Minister and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik of playing “dirty political games”. They stated that the demolition of their structures had become an ego issue for the MLA, who had allegedly threatened other Baina residents that he would demolish their structures if they did not vote for the candidate fielded by him for the municipal elections.
“We have always suspected something fishy in the demolition case. The government wants the structures to be demolished, and so it is sending some notice or the other to these residents to keep them busy all the time. This has been going on since last year. The role of local MLA Milind Naik is clear; he had confessed that the Baina beach beatification is his dream project. That is why he wants to displace these residents, who have been fighting with the government for rehabilitation, which is their right,” said Congress leader Sankalp Amonkar, adding that Naik had been misusing State machinery.
He also stated that most officials from the State administration are upset with the demolition fixed for Saturday. He stated, “Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) did not follow the rule of giving proper time to the residents and had issued 15-day final notices to 157 residents. Seven of those days were non-working days, which makes us feel that everything has been planned.”
He continued, “We informed the administration that the residents had approached the National Green Tribunal, Pune Bench, with a fresh plea on Thursday and they are expecting to get relief on Saturday. However, without any intimation, the demolition has been scheduled. We request the administration to give the residents a little more time to get relief from the court by deferring the demolition.”
