Rawanfond residents up in arms against multi-storey construction

Rawanfond residents up in arms against multi-storey construction 
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, APRIL 13
Residents of Rawanfond took to the streets in protest against a multi-storey building construction, claiming that the construction has been declared illegal by the deputy Collector, Margao.
As the builder claimed that he has all relevant permissions from the Margao Municipal Council, the residents later called on the MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho, who assured to depute an engineer to ascertain the factual position on the ground.
The Municipal technical section has now fixed a joint inspection of the construction site to ascertain whether the construction in question has any access from the main road and other questions such as the owner of the property of the land falling in the road widening area.
Armed with a copy of a letter from the deputy Collector, Johnson Fernandes, the residents immediately demanded a stop to the construction activity. While the deputy Collector maintained that the construction is allegedly illegal as it is being carried out without obtaining permission from the competent authority, the builder furnished the construction licence issued by the Margao Civic body issued by then Chief Officer Y B Tawde.
However, the residents maintained that the Margao Municipal Council should initiate action against the persons involved in the illegal construction as recommended by the deputy Collector.
Says Joseph Vaz: “The residents want a complete halt to the construction activity and punishment to the guilty persons as requested by the deputy collector. We have also called for rectification of the damage done by the guilty”., while demanding a probe claiming that a portion of the property in the road widening area belongs to the local Church..
Vaz, however, expressed his shock that constant requests to the Margao police to visit the site fell on deaf ears as the men-in-uniform refused to come for well over 45 minutes despite being intimated on 100 number.
MMC Chairperson, when contacted, admitted there appears no proper access the plot where the construction work has started, reminding that a multi-storey building cannot come where there is no road access. Besides, he said the septic tanks are proposed very close to a drinking water well.