PANAJI:
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is in a quandary to execute the demolition of the three-storeyed 'unsafe' building in the capital city's market which was sealed after vacating some 13 tenants (lease-holders), including some popular businesses housed on the ground-floor shops.
CCP sources said a precarious situation has arisen as an adjacent private building (Falcon Apartments) has fully functional businesses housed in it which record high footfalls on a daily basis.
"A process is being initiated to vacate that building as well for the duration of the physical demolition process," the CCP official said.
Furthermore, the lease holders of the building to be demolished have also moved the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking relief against the CCP's action to vacate them and seal the building.
CCP decided to demolish the building and sealed it after vacating the 13 lessees last week armed with a report of the civil engineering department of the Goa Engineering College (GEC) declaring it "unsafe".
It invoked powers under section 272 of the CCP Act which enables it to serve notices and evict occupants of "unsafe" buildings.
CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate however voiced confidence that the building will be demolished soon even as he acknowledged that the lessees have knocked the doors of the judiciary.
"Our process has been cleared by the Secretary (Urban Development) in quasi-judicial proceedings. We will go ahead with the demolition. I don't think they (lessees) will get relief from the court. Let us see," Monserrate said when contacted.
The affected lease-holders meanwhile have cried foul accusing the civic body of first neglecting the maintenance of the building for decades despite all the tenants paying their rents regularly and now 'evicting' them without sufficient notice.
