Team Herald

MARGAO: At a meeting held on Tuesday, the Margao Municipal Council resolved to inform the High Court that the civic body does not have the funds required to deposit the sum of Rs 2.73 crore pertaining to the controversial land acquisition at Colmorodd, Navelim, and have asked the Court for a week’s time to respond.

Senior lawyer S D Padiyar also attended the meeting that lasted for almost three hours, wherein the Council also resolved to file a suit against the petitioner for blackmailing the civic body, and dispute his claim on the said land.

Almost all the councillors took the technical section of the civic body, including the Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes, to task for not informing them about the matter and for filing an affidavit in the High Court showing willingness to deposit the sum of Rs 2.73 crore.

Councillors Ghanashyam Shirodkar, Sagun Naik, Sadanand Naik, Mahesh Amonkar and others said that the Chief Officer and technical staff were to be held responsible for the gaffe and demanded a departmental inquiry into the matter.

Earlier, Padiyar explained the matter to the councillors in detail and even suggested that the Council should inform the Court of the history of the case, and added that the estimated cost at Rs 2.73 crore was too high.

“The Council has resolved to sue the petitioner as he is not losing a single inch of his land and still claiming compensation,” said MMC Chairperson Damodar Shirodkar. Councillor Ghanashaym said that the credibility of the petitioner has to be taken into consideration and

the court should be made aware about similar cases that have been settled by the same petitioner.