Unanswered questions: How have structures been allowed to mushroom on the sloped land by tampering with fragile hillock? Why are govt authorities, including Health Dept and Hospicio, taking time to clear encroachments? What has prevented Disaster Management Authority to take suo moto cognisance of structures on hillock?
MARGAO
Against the backdrop of the massive Wayanad landslide in Kerala, members of the August Goa Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, sounded caution over reckless and unplanned development to prevent landslides and disasters in the State.
Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate went a step further to reassure that the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will issue an advisory to all planning and development authorities, besides local bodies, including the Town and Country Planning Department to be strict in enforcing measures while granted development permissions and licences for development.
Welcome to the Pajifond/Monte Hillock, where land owned by the Health Department headed by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane is up for grabs. A drive down on the Monte Hill road near the Power substation would reveal a number of pucca and katcha huts and structures on the sloppy government-owned land in possession of Hospicio hospital.
A host of questions remain answered: One, how have structures been allowed to mushroom on the sloped land by tampering with the fragile hillock. Why are the government authorities, including the Health Department and Hospicio, taking its time to clear the encroachments and protect its land and restore the hillock to its original condition? What has prevented authorities such as the District Disaster Management Authority headed by South Goa Collector to take suo moto cognisance of the structures on the hillock?
And, why are the powers that be, including the government, besides the Opposition, who shed tears in the House in the wake of the Wayanad landslide incident silent on the brazen encroachments and damage caused to the hillock by the construction activity.
Consider this: It’s now three years and half since the illegal encroachments on the Pajifond/Monte Hillock had come to light in February 2021. Encroachments on the sloppy land began in the run up to the election for the Margao Municipal Council in 2021. Sources said the encroachments continued for days together while politicians and the authorities preferred to turn a blind eye to the illegalities. It was only after two groups of persons jostled and crossed swords to encroach on the land that the issue finally reached the doorsteps of then Margao Deputy Collector, Jyoti Kumari.
On February 24, 2021, then Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar descended at the hillock with an army of workers to raze down the makeshift structures made of bamboos and plastic sheets. While leaving the hillock after clearing the encroachments, the Salcete Mamlatdar sent a message loud and clear that the responsibility of curbing the illegal structures on the government land rests with the Health Department, the land owner.
Structures re-surface in 2023
The illegal encroachments again raised its ugly head on the hillock two years later in 2023. Consider this. On November 20, 2023, deputy Health Director and South Goa district hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Rajendra Borkar wrote to the Margao Municipal Chief Officer, drawing attention to the illegal hutments mushrooming on the government-owned land at Monte Hill-Pajifond.
Dr Borkar made a categorical mention that illegal structures in the Hospicio property bearing PT Sheet No. 191 Chalta No 75, near Junta Quarters, Monte Hill, Margao, demolished on February 24, 2022 by the demolition squad, Margao have been reconstructed.
The Hospicio Medical Superintendent knocked the doors of the MMC with a plea to carry out the necessary panchanama before razing down the illegal structures by complying with the codal formalities as per the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968.
Again, questions, however, remain unanswered. One, why did the Deputy Health Director Dr Borkar knock the doors of the Margao Municipal Council instead of requisitioning the demolition squad to raze down the structures? Was the Deputy Health Director confident that the MMC would mete out quick justice to him by taking the process against the encroachments to its logical conclusion?
No action taken by MMC, Health dept till date
It’s now eight months and half since the Hospicio Medical Superintendent and Deputy Health Director, Dr Rajendra Borkar had dashed off his letter to the MMC on November 20, 2023. Sadly, not a single encroachment has been removed from the hillock till date. Reason: The MMC first asked the Deputy Health Director to identify the land owned by the Health Department and also the encroachments that have mushroomed on the land. This process itself consumed a lot of time, sources said, before a joint inspection was carried out by the MMC and Health officials at the hillock.
Inquiries by The Goan have now revealed that nothing concrete has emerged from the joint inspection. In fact, the MMC is believed to have point blank told the Health officials to first demarcate its land at the hillock before deciding on the next course of action.
Incidentally, a MMC official wondered how come the Health Department/ Hospicio has knocked the doors of the civic body when the encroachments could have been razed down by the demolition squad in a single day. “Since the hillock belongs to the government, there was no need for the health Department to approach the civic body for action. The municipality is bound by the laid down guidelines as per the Municipalities Act before going for demolition,” remarked a civic official.
