CALANGUTE: An old dilapidated building at the Calangute market junction which had partially collapsed on Thursday morning was demolished by the panchayat on Friday after it was declared unsafe by the Deputy Collector, Mapusa.
Owners of neighbouring shops expressed fear that the whole structure might come down during the incessant rains, following which Calangute MLA Michael Lobo approached the deputy collector on Thursday to pass a demolition order.
Earlier the Calangute panchayat had also written to the deputy collector informing them about how the precarious condition of the structure was posing a hazard to the public and had demanded that it should be demolished but the official had delayed passing the necessary orders.
Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira stated, “Yesterday the MLA got an order from the deputy collector to demolish the structure. The building is about to collapse. The village panchayat has taken a decision with the MLA to remove the structure as an emergency. The panchayat has decided to carry out the demolition using our funds as the PWD would have taken time to implement the demolition order.”
