Moti Dongor, Goa's most politically visible and sensitiveslum responsible for electing Digambar Kamat as MLA for five terms, is set fora historic demolition which will have a political and well as a sanitationimpact.
The South Goa District Collector ND Agarwal, has asked theMMC Chief officer Srinet Kotwale to complete the process of demarcatingboundaries and submitting a list of illegal structures by November 10. Agarwalis keen to complete the demolition of Moti Dongor slums before his retirementin December. Significantly, Agarwal (IAS) was the Chief Officer in 2003, whencubicles of sex workers at Baina red-light area were demolished by the MormugaoMunicipality, under Collector J P Singh.
The move follows directions from the High Court which hastaken cognizance of a Writ Petition filed by Worli-Mumbai based lawyer SanjivPunalekar against the failure of the MMC and the South Goa district collectorto demolish unauthorized constructions at Moti Dingor on what is public land
Advocate Punalekar, has stated that illegal migrants residethere and affect public health, sanitation and sewerage. The petitioner hasalso added newspaper clippings of Goan newspapers pointing out the criminalactivities in the region. The PIL has also slammed the CM for his comments inan interview stating that slums were notified under the Slum Dwellers rehabilitationact while Punalekar has argued, “The Goa government does not have a slumredevelopment act and neither has the state adopted the Central Government’sDraft Model Property Rights to Slum Dwellers Act of 2011. Such, statements madeby the former Chief Minister are untrue and baseless.”
“The slums on the hillock are notified under some slumdwellers acts when Goa Daman Diu were a Union territory and these rules are notapplicable now, as such we are marking all the structures illegal and willcomplete our exercise in a few days and submit a report to Collector,” statedAdministrator of Communidade (South Zone) Pravin Barad.
“We have clarified to the Court and Collector that holdingration cards, paying house tax or having water connections does not mean thatthe slums are legal since Municipality has never given a written consent to anyof these slum homes at Moti Dongor,” stated Kotwale.
Importantly the Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has admitted thatthe MMC has left him as Margao MLA, totally out of the loop in its exercise.
