Team Herald
PANJIM: North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) on Tuesday resolved to demolish illegal structures along the coastal belt operating in violation of Building Construction rules and encroaching upon footpaths and parking areas.
“We have received several complaints about illegal structures operating in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone and Building construction rules. We have decided to demolish all such illegal structures that have come up encroaching upon footpaths and parking areas,” NGPDA chairman Michael Lobo said.
At the NGPD meeting held Tuesday morning it was decided to issue demolition orders to Agni dance bar and restaurant in Calangute, for operating in violation of CRZ and Building Construction rules.
Lobo said that the authority decided to issue the demolition order to the dance bar as it has illegally encroached upon land belonging to the Public Works Department (PWD).
“The structure is a CRZ violation. It falls within 500 mtrs of the high tide line and is operating in violation of the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act 2008, and the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010,” he said. The demolition will take place within a month, Lobo said.
Following complaints from Calangute villagers, on February 24 NGPDA had issued a show cause notice cum stop order to the dance bar for illegal operation. The action will be initiated under Section 52 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974.
Lobo said the dance bar was allegedly running without construction and operating licences from Calangute Panchayat. He said a site inspection was carried out on February 23, wherein it was observed that the owner K K Sharma had no documents to show the dance bar was legal.
“The dance bar, which was initially started as a restaurant, is now a three floor building,” he said.
