MARGAO: Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira exhibited a rare moment of frustration during his weekly Friday Darbar at the South District Collectorate.
The heated exchange centred around the contentious issue of regularising unauthorised houses, revealing the intensity of the debate within the government.
Officials present at the meeting included South Goa District Collector Asvin Chandru, Additional Collector-I Srinet Kothawale, Deputy Collector Uday Prabhudesai, Deputy Collector Nipanekar, Town Planner Sandeep, and PWD Superintending Engineer Prasad Panandikar.
In a notable moment, Minister Sequeira directly addressed a senior official, expressing that if the discussion was causing irritation and upset, the official was free to leave.
The situation escalated further as Minister Sequeira went on to express his discontent by informing officials that he intended to brief Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in on the contentious issue.
In a surprising move, Sequeira hinted at the possibility of refraining from using the Minister’s chamber altogether, suggesting he might cease his visits to the District Collectorate. The Minister had initiated a crucial meeting by summoning various concerned officials, such as the Deputy Collector, representatives from the Town and Country Planning, Public Works, and Electricity Departments.
The focus of the discussion centred on finding solutions for the backlog of pending applications related to the regularisation of unauthorised houses in the Salcete taluka. During the meeting, an official, possibly from the PWD, delved into technical details such as the importance of the PWD’s presence and used terms like built-up area and super built-up area.
In response, Minister Aleixo Sequeira intervened, expressing a desire to simplify the entire process. Expressing his frustration, he conveyed that if there was no genuine intention to address the issue at hand, he would communicate their inability to handle it to the Chief Minister. Later, Sequeira told reporters that the primary objective of these discussions was to facilitate a more efficient and accessible pathway for residents to benefit from government decisions regarding house regularisation.
