Team Herald
CALANGUTE: Three illegal structures at Khobrawaddo, Calangute, were demolished on Wednesday following a High Court order in the presence of officials from the Bardez Mamlatdar, Block Development Officer (BDO), village panchayat and police.
Egidio Braganza, the owner of the property 209/5 at Calangute which falls in CRZ area, said the illegal structures were constructed in 2009 by encroaching on his property despite his objections. The said structures had no occupancy certificate, NOC from GCZMA or any construction licence and were being used for commercial operations. Though he had filed complaints with the Calangute panchayat but no action was initiated.
“The Panchayat would inward the complaints and issue ceremonious notices, but no action was taken,” Braganza said.
Shockingly these illegal structures even had house numbers issued by the panchayat as well as electricity and water connections.
Braganza then approached the Directorate of Panchayats and a demolition order was finally passed on March 9, 2022 by the Deputy Director of Panchayats.
Since the demolition order was not being implemented for more than two years by the Calangute panchayat and the Bardez BDO on one pretext or another citing frivolous reason of incomplete documents, Braganza finally approached the Bombay High Court at Goa which passed an order directing the panchayat authorities to demolish the structures and implement its demolition order.
This is the second major demolition in Khobrawaddo within two weeks. Earlier on October 25, the Bardez deputy collector's demolition squad had demolished some illegal structures built by a hotel in the CRZ area at Khobrawaddo. That too was an old litigation.