PANJIM: With the respondent expressing his inability to deposit balance amount of Rs 20 lakh towards restoration of the hill at Taleigao, the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday ordered that his entire deposit of Rs 60 lakh be forfeited. The Court further directed the PWD to restore the hill.
The Court had asked the PWD and the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) to file a detailed report specifying the cost estimated by them for restoration of the hill by July 19 and to carry out the restoration work using the money.
The Court was hearing a writ petition filed by former CCP Mayor Tony Rodrigues against Taleigao resident Estonio Francisco de Almeida.
In May this year, the Court had asked de Almeida to deposit the money, which was to be later refunded back to him after he restored the hill near Taleigao Church damaged due to construction work undertaken by him.
As the restoration work could not be completed within specified time, neither did he deposit the additional money of Rs 20 lakh as per earlier order, the Court directed that Rs 60 lakh deposited by him be forfeited and further directed the PWD to restore the hill. Adv Rohit Bras de Sa argued on behalf of the petitioner.
The Court had earlier observed that the respondent had breached the undertakings given to the Court, inter alia, by deviating from the plan and trying to post-facto justify the deviations. Every time, the respondent would give undertakings and then try to find out ways and means to wriggle out of the same, the Court had stated, adding that the retaining wall would be constructed strictly in accord with the specifications and the plan.
