Barad okays action against 50 encroachers
TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: The six-month High Court deadline to identify and raze down all illegal structures atop migrant inhabited Moti Dongor expired on Saturday without a single structure being demolished by the authorities.
But, the South Goa Administrator of Comunidades has finally given its nod for action against the first list of 50 encroachers on Comunidade land. Sources said these 50 encroachers may get around 10 days time to clear the structures before the hammer falls on them.
Hectic activity was noticed in the District Collectorate on Saturday with Comunidade Administrator Pravin Barad huddled with revenue officials how to go about the demolition work.
The Comunidade Administrator told Herald that his office has cleared notices to 50 encroachers on the hillock to clear the illegal structures within 10 days. Though the notices were handed over to the Comunidade staff for serving on the parties, sources in the know said the notices will now be modified on Monday by quoting relevant provision of law.
Barad said he has received instructions from the South District Collector, N D Agrawal to initiate action against the first lot of 50 structures atop the hillock.
Sources in the Collectorate told Herald that revenue officials discussed the issue of demolition threadbare before issuing the notices.
A survey jointly conducted by the Margao Municipal Council and the Administrator of Comunidades had unearthed around 250-plus illegal structures atop Moti Dongor and around 101 structures on adjoining Talsanzor.
The government had on August 9 given an undertaking to the High Court to identify all illegal structures atop Moti Dongor and raze them within six months after Mumbai-based lawyer Adv Sanjiv Punalykar filed a Public Interest Litigation praying for the demolition of the illegal structures atop the hillock.
