Team Herald
VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council with the help of South Goa demolition Squad on Wednesday demolished encroached portion of a house owned by one Tereza Sequeira on the land belonging to St Andrews church at Vaddem, Vasco.
According to information, one Tereza Sequeira was initially occupying 62.50 square meters of Church property at Vaddem. However Sequeira without informing the church and without obtaining any permission went on encroaching the land adjacent to her house and finally it was brought to the notice of St Andrews church official that she occupied 306.50 square meters of land to extend her house. Thus in the year 1996-97 the then parish priest of St Andrews church filed a complaint before Mormugao municipality as well as Mormugao Planning and Development Authority and other authorities demanding demolition of extended portion encroached by Sequeira.
Taking cognizance of the complaint, the then MMC chief officer first issued show cause noticed on January 22, 2007 the then chief officer Elvis Gomes issued a final demolition order in the case. Soon after receiving the Municipal demolition order Sequeira approached the Municipal Administrative Tribunal, on February 7, 2007, thereafter the case went on before the administrative tribunal and finally on January 20, 2015, the Tribunal dismissed Sequeira’s plea as she had no documents to prove her ownerships over the property. “The concerned party had enough time to approach the High Court in the matter as her plea was dismissed by the lower court. However, as she failed to do so the MMC recently approached the demolition squad on February 22 2016 and demolition was fixed and executed by demolition squad on Wednesday,” Municipal Engineer MMC, Diniz D’Mello told reporters.
The demolition squad did face few obstacles before carrying out demolition drive as the occupants of the said house started protesting against the demolition. They even claimed that MMC did not give them any prior notice and suddenly came along with the demolition squad.
They alleged that it is only due to pressure from one builder, the members of church and MMC officials have been trying to throw them out of the property which they have been occupying since last several decades.
Meanwhile, one Apricio Pereira, who is attorney of fabrica of St Andrews church, refuted all the allegations made against church and claimed that “The allegations made against the fabrica are false and baseless. As the party concerned had carried out encroachment on church property, MMC followed the procedure after receiving complaints and demolished the extended portion,” he told.
