Temporary structures along Canacona coast face axe
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CANACONA, JULY 6
The axe is likely to fall on a number of temporary structures, which continue to dot Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) coast, even though the tourism season ended last month.
According to municipal sources, police protection has been sought to carry out demolition drive of illegal temporary structures in civic areas on Wednesday.
It may be recalled that councillors in their last meeting had urged the chief officer to initiate stringent measures on defaulting temporary licence holders, who had failed to restore their places to normal self after the expiry of licence period.
Accordingly, it is learnt that CMC’s team was deputed to inspect and conduct assessment of all the illegally standing temporary structures in the coastal areas at Palolem, Patnem, Colomb, Rajbag, Tarir, etc.
When contacted, CMC Chief Officer Deepak Dessai confirming Wednesday’s demolition said: “There may not be much to do on Wednesday, as most of the structures are reportedly razed by the licencees themselves after recent CMC’s notices giving 48 hours were served on some defaulters.”
“I even told a few people who met me a few days ago that nothing doing and all has to honour the terms and guidelines of temporary licences issued to the applicants during last tourist season,” said the chief officer.
“We will not allow any defaulters in allowing them to continue with the structures that people were permitted to erect for specific period,” he said.
But contrary to what Dessai says, locals in the civic areas alleged that at least one-third of 1,200 temporary structures permitted by CMC during the last tourist season continue to stand tall and some are reportedly doing business.
The locals also alleged that structures of some influential people continue to stand illegally and instead fictional specifics are provided to the controlling authorities by inspecting teams with ulterior motives.
