The JCB excavator being used to raze the structure which was built on the Santa Cruz panchayat land on Saturday. Captured by : Manuel Vaz
OLD GOA
After having got the land for panchayat ghar demarcated, twenty years after it was acquired, the Santa Cruz panchayat razed the encroachments on the land on Saturday.
The encroachments were cleared with the help of a JCB excavator with the exercise beginning in the morning and completed by late afternoon.
One of the structures, in fact, had power connections to it and was also well-furnished with an attached toilet.
With the encroachments gone, it now paves the way for the panchayat to go ahead with its plan of constructing a panchayat ghar.
Speaking to reporters, sarpanch Jennifer Oliveira informed that the panchayat had forewarned the encroachers to remove the encroachments by themselves.
“They did not listen to us and hence we had to undertake the demolition exercise,” Oliveira informed while stating that now the panchayat will move ahead with its plan of constructing a panchayat ghar on its land.
Deputy sarpanch Domnic Pereira informed that the encroachers took the current panchayat lightly due to which the structures stood tall despite the demolition warnings.
“Unlike the previous panchayats, this panchayat will not tolerate any illegality in the village,” Pereira warned.
Ward panch Amabelle Gomes informed that the action by the panchayat will serve as an eye opener to others not to undertake illegalities in the village.
Meanwhile, the panchayat authorities have directed the vendors, doing business on the roadside, to move their wares inwards by leaving enough space between the road and their structures, failing which the panchayat would move in and demolish their extensions.
The encroachments were cleared with the help of a JCB excavator with the exercise beginning in the morning and completed by late afternoon.
One of the structures, in fact, had power connections to it and was also well-furnished with an attached toilet.
With the encroachments gone, it now paves the way for the panchayat to go ahead with its plan of constructing a panchayat ghar.
Speaking to reporters, sarpanch Jennifer Oliveira informed that the panchayat had forewarned the encroachers to remove the encroachments by themselves.
“They did not listen to us and hence we had to undertake the demolition exercise,” Oliveira informed while stating that now the panchayat will move ahead with its plan of constructing a panchayat ghar on its land.
Deputy sarpanch Domnic Pereira informed that the encroachers took the current panchayat lightly due to which the structures stood tall despite the demolition warnings.
“Unlike the previous panchayats, this panchayat will not tolerate any illegality in the village,” Pereira warned.
Ward panch Amabelle Gomes informed that the action by the panchayat will serve as an eye opener to others not to undertake illegalities in the village.
Meanwhile, the panchayat authorities have directed the vendors, doing business on the roadside, to move their wares inwards by leaving enough space between the road and their structures, failing which the panchayat would move in and demolish their extensions.
