Says civic body has limited powers, urges legal scrutiny
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat inspects the site where a canopy of the old Bank of Baroda building collapsed.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
With the commercial capital playing host to a number of dilapidated and dangerous buildings, and the process to declare buildings as unsafe stuck in red tape, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat has said the issue of old buildings needs to be examined legally after studying the pros and cons, reminding that the right to own and possess private property is a fundamental right.
He said it is not that easy to raze down dangerous private buildings when the right to possess property is a fundamental right. “The authorities cannot breach the right to own private property when it is a fundamental right to own private property,” he said.
Asked to outline the options available to handle dangerous buildings when they pose a danger to the general public, Kamat said one option is for people to file complaints before the district Collectors and obtain orders for necessary action. “People normally tend to blame the Margao Municipality for not taking action. We have to understand that these are private buildings which are not owned by the municipal body. Hence, the civic body is not directly responsible. There is a process which needs to be complied with,” he said.
He added: “Will the Municipal Chief Officer have the guts to act if the Collector issues an order for demolition of a private building when notice is not issued to the owner? Demolition of buildings does not come under the domain of the Margao Municipal Council. There is a process which needs to be followed. Otherwise, a petition in the court will stay the entire process.”
