A resident of Old Goa has alleged that several houses have been registered by the Se Old Goa Village Panchayat within 100 metres of protected monuments, and that per missions have also been granted to operate commercial establishments in the restricted zone.
He further accused the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Goa Circle, of overlooking numerous illegal constructions in the area, alleging that a major scam appears to have taken place. The allegations were made by Pramod Naik during a personal hearing before the Panchayat Secretary in connection with ashow cause notice issued to him. Naik demanded that all such commercial establishments operating within the restricted zone be shut down and that illegal structures be demolished without notice to ensure justice and maintain a lawful environment in the village.
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He also urged that the ASI, Goa Circle, be strictly directed to conduct a joint inspection along with all concerned authorities to identify illegal structures that have come up within 100 to 200 metres of monu-ments in Old Goa.
Naik further stated that he had not received any notices from the ASI. He said that his first reply, submitted on December 7, 2024, was self-explanatory. He produced a house tax certificate indicating that the house in question was registered in 1973. The property is reflected in Form No. I & XIV under the ownership of his adopted father.
According to Naik, the structure is old and required urgent repairs. He stated that only the roof was replaced with metal sheets and that no additional construction was undertaken. He also clarified that the premises have not been used for any commercial purpose.
