CALANGUTE: A demolition squad of the Candolim Panchayat which started clearing alleged encroachments on land belonging to the Candolim Primary Health Centre (PHC) on Thursday for constructing the new PHC building had to stop midway when the property owner produced documents to prove that there was no encroachment.
A strong police force was present at the spot while the demolition was underway.
The JCB of the demolition squad, in the presence of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and panchayat members, had already started removing a compound wall and shed which had allegedly been built by the owner of the neighbouring property by encroaching on PHC land.
As the demolition squad continued knocking down walls, the property owner produced documents to stop the demolition which was then temporarily suspended.
MLA Lobo said they will resume the demolition work after a couple of days. “The owner says part of the property belongs to him. So we’re bringing the surveyor who had done the demarcation and he can show the demarcation points. The government does not want to take one inch of his property,” he told reporters.
The new Candolim PHC is being built at a cost of Rs 23-cr, Lobo said. “The government has issued a work order for building the new building of the Candolim PHC and the Candolim Panchayat has received a order to clear the encroachment in the PHC property so that the contractor can start the work by next week. If the property is encroached then we cannot build anything,” he said.
