PANJIM: Three days ahead of the State Assembly elections, the village panchayat of Se Old Goa issued a demolition order to the owner of the controversial illegal bungalow, located in the UNESCO heritage zone.
The demolition order signed by the panchayat secretary and issued to owner of the bungalow Sumermal Jain, of Corvus Urban Infrastructures LLP- Mumbai, directs that the construction be demolished within 15 days failing which the panchayat will initiate the process. The demolition order was issued on Thursday, February 10.
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“In exercise of the power vested in me under Section 47(ii) of The Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and in implementation of resolution No. 4 adopted in the meeting held on February 2, 2022 do hereby order Sumermal Jain, Corvus Urban
Infrastructure LLP to demolish illegal construction under Survey No 4/1 of Ella Village of Tiswadi Taluka within fifteen days from the receipt of the order,” the Secretary said.
“Failing to act, the village panchayat will be compelled to demolish the same on any day after expiry of the aforesaid period without any intimation and expenditure incurred shall be recovered from you as tax imposed under this act,” the order added further.
The Save Old Goa Action Committee (SOGAC) has been opposing the construction of the bungalow for over a year and also moved the Supreme Court against it. SOGAC has repeatedly called for investigations across government departments as to how the fraudulent permissions were given in the first place.
In the run up to February 14 election, the issue attained political importance with the opposition accusing and attacking the government for granting illegal permissions.
Mumbai-based Corus Urban Infrastructure Ltd bought the land on which the bungalow is being constructed through a sale deed in August 2021.
