Chicken and mutton shop owners succeed in getting HC stay on razing
Officials and a police team ahead of the proposed demolition of the municipal building in Sanguem declared unsafe for public use.
SANGUEM
Tension prevailed in Sanguem town on Monday morning after Sanguem Municipal Council (SMC) officials had gone to demolish a 50-year-old municipal building declared unsafe for public use.
Over the past many years, the Sanguem Municipal Council (SMC) has been putting in all their efforts to get the building razed to the ground but had been unsuccessful as a family running a chicken and mutton shop in a portion of the building has been strongly opposing the move till the time their demands for settlement elsewhere are not resolved.
On Monday, the SMC officials were armed with an order from the South Goa Collector for demolition of the unsafe building under the Disaster Management Act and had, accordingly, secured a large police force to see the action goes smoothly.
However, while heated arguments prevailed between family members of the chicken and mutton shop and the officials over the demolition work, the shop owners succeeded in getting an interim stay over the demolition process till the next date of hearing subject to the SMC cordoning the unsafe building for the safety of the general public.
The High Court in its order also held that the petitioner shall not be permitted to enter into the premises except for removing the belongings.
News of the mutton and the chicken vendor having got the stay on the demolition proceedings was reportedly conveyed to the SMC by officials from the Collectorate, compelling SMC officials to halt the demolition process for the time being.
It is pertinent to note here that the municipal-owned building has deteriorated over the years and had been declared unsafe by experts from the Goa Engineering College at Farmagudi. Since then, except for the mutton and chicken shop vendor, all other shopowners had vacated the premises and shifted at the new complex.
However, the family of the chicken and mutton vendor claim that the SMC had failed to provide them suitable alternate place.
The family claim that prior to their shifting to the building in 2010, they were conducting their business at the old market complex.
During the time of their displacement, the affected family members claim the SMC to have orally assured them 50 sq. mtrs of built up area but the chicken and mutton vendor has alleged that the SMC has now restricted their relocation to an area of just 10 sq. mtrs which is unacceptable.
They allege that the SMC, taking advantage of their illiteracy, had reportedly taken signatures of their elders on a written note which allegedly claims that they had agreed to shift to an alternate place of lesser area.
A few years back, a slab of the building had collapsed, but luckily it fell in a safe area with no injuries to anyone.
SMC Chief Officer Sagar Prabhu and Deputy Collector Sanguem Milind Velip who were present at the site for the demolition proceedings informed that given the today's directions passed by the High Court, the demolition proceedings will be stayed until further orders by the High Court. The matter is now fixed for November 20, after the additional government advocate sought time to file reply in the matter.
