PANJIM: The Goa Human rights Commission (GHRC) Monday recommended the South Goa Collector to give compensation to the staff who were living in the quarters at Collem, and affected due to overflowing of Dudhsagar river in July 2021, within next 60 days.
Joseph Barreto, a resident of Rua de Ourem, Panjim had filed a complaint in February 2022, complaining of discrimination by denying government relief for destruction caused by floods on July 23, 2021, when the Dudhsagar river overflowed and flooded several properties at Collem.
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On perusing the complaint, the Commission called for the report from the respondent. But at the stage of hearing,
the Commission heard the complainant as the respondent abstained.
The complainant had stated that the staff from the Deputy Collector’s office and Talathi of Collem on July 28, 2021, estimated the loss caused to his staff, who lived in the quarters in his property and to their personal belongings. They had recorded the damage amounting to Rs 2,82,550.
The complainant stated that the government had released money to 157 villagers of Collem and Shigao panchayat of Dharbandora Taluka, who were paid between Rs 6,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
The complainant further stated that though the government did not compensate for the damages caused to his Agro Tourism Properties namely, ‘Jungle Book’, situated at Bazarwado-Collem being a commercial venture, but loss of his staff was a personal loss and they were entitled to be compensated.
The respondent stated that the commercial properties does not come within the ambit of the guidelines issued by the government for granting gratuitous relief under the Goa Disaster Management Fund Scheme and the State Disaster Response Fund Scheme.
After going through the documents produced by the respondent, the two-member Commission comprising acting Chairperson Judge Desmond D’Costa and Judge Pramod Kamat found that Barreto was not seeking any assistance from the respondent for the damages suffered to his commercial venture and was right that his staff, who suffered loss of their personal belongings in the floods were entitled to be compensated as per the assessment made by the government officials who had visited the properties on July 28, 2021.
