TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CANACONA: The government’s decision to demolish row houses adjacent to the collapsed building of Ruby Residency at Chaudi-Canacona could now be challenged in court, on grounds that it did not follow proper procedures during the demolition drive.
It may be recalled that the government had demolished two row houses on grounds that the two structures were also damaged following the collapse of the building on January 4, which had left 31 workers dead and 16 other injured. Authorities had also claimed that the two row houses were hindering rescue and recovery operations at the site.
According to reliable sources, two investors believe that authorities had not followed proper procedure or had served any demolition notice, before the row houses were razed during the recovery operations at Ruby Residency.
The aggrieved investors, who are in the process of filing a criminal suit against the government, have argued that the two row houses, which were occupied at the time, had posed no threat or obstruction to the various teams involved in the rescue operations.
According to reliable sources, two investors of Ruby Residency had filed a petition in the court, but the court registrar reportedly noticed flaws in their petition and had advised the petitioners to rectify the flaws, before filing their petition again.
“The rectified petition by the two investors, who are aggrieved over the government’s move to attach their properties at Ruby Residency, could be submitted again within the next 1-2 weeks,” informed a reliable source.
Sources also informed Herald that two outstation investors are also planning to file a case against the government’s decision to freeze their properties at Ruby Residency, which were not connected to the collapsed building.
Meanwhile, sources added that about 110 outstation investors of Bharat Heights (near Chaudi-Canacona) and Palolem Plaza (Palolem), the other two projects of the builders in Canacona taluka, have also formed an association.
Some of these 110 investors are likely to question the government for attaching their properties, on grounds that they did not have anything to do with the collapsed building of Ruby Residency as their properties were kilometres away from the collapsed building.
These investors are also unhappy that the government had stopped work on these two projects even before the attachment of the property, and had engaged in revoking occupancy certificate of Phase-I of Bharat Heights.
Investors are also worried that if the works do not start before monsoons, the constructions could get damaged after being exposed to nature.
“We are disappointed with the government as it had issued all required permissions to the builders and is now trying to disown them,” remarked one investor.
According to sources, there are over 200 investors from Goa alone who had invested in various properties of the builders.
According to reliable sources, two investors of Ruby Residency had filed a petition in the court, but the court registrar reportedly noticed flaws in their petition and had advised the petitioners to rectify the flaws, before filing their petition again
