the goan I network
VASCO
NHAI project director C O P Furtado, along with Joint Mamlatdar Nathan L Afonso, other highway officials and a strong police force reached Baina at about 10.30 am to carry out the demolition exercise with the help of two JCBs.
The canoe owners requested the officials to give them some time so that they could personally dismantle the illegal structures to avoid any damage to their fishing equipment. The officials accepted their request and at about 11 am the canoe owners with the help of their labourers dismantled the 20-odd structures. A platoon of Vasco police was present to avoid any law and order situation.
Speaking to The Goan, Furtado said about a year back they had demolished all the houses that had encroached on NHAI land and occupants of the structures were rehabilitated. “After demolition of the houses, the canoe owners with the support of a local politician constructed illegal structures to store their fishing equipment and also housed labourers,” said Furtado. When asked if any notices were served to the canoe owners to vacate the illegal structures, Furtado said the NHAI on May 26 issued public notices in five local English newspapers and had urged the occupants of the illegal structures to vacate.
“Since they failed to vacate, we decided to carry out the demolition exercises on Tuesday,” Furtado said and claimed that a local politician had tried to interfere with the demolition, but when informed that his interference would not be tolerated he did not bother them.
