the goan I network
CANACONA
Tension prevailed at Patnem-Colomb area after a landlord acting on court orders dug up a 250-mtr tarred road passing through his property leading to Colomb Beach in Canacona municipal area.
On learning about the tension, Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes rushed to the area and convened a meeting between the locals protesting the road demolition work and the landlord, to restore peace in the locality.
According to sources, a landlord who owns vast land in Colomb area, had been fighting a court battle for the past 15 years against the PWD for constructing a road through his property without obtaining his NOC.
Accusing the PWD of failing to compensate him for the land, the landlord said the road had passed through the middle of his property behind the Colomb bus-stop.
According to sources, the court verdict was out and the landlord was reportedly given freedom to dug up the road before January 23.
Accordingly, about 250 metres of the road was dug up on Thursday.
Locals who own residences near the road were critical of the PWD for failing to acquire the land before constructing the road.
They also complained that the road was constructed on an existing pathway which was previously used by locals as an access in the area.
While locals claimed they needed the road to reach their residential structures, they alleged that the landlord had himself leased out some part of his property to operate shacks, which are also accessible through the same road.
The angry locals then reportedly threatened to block even the pathway leading to those tourism structures leased out by the landlord in his property.
As tension began to grow over the digging of the road, Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes sought to defuse the situation and convened a joint meeting with the
landlord.
Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) Deputy Chairperson Shamsunder Desai, Ward Councillor Guru Komarpant, neighboring Palolem-II Councillor Divakar Pagi, CMC Chairperson Nitu Desai’s husband and ex-chairperson Sameer Dessai and former CMC chairperson Ramakant Naikgaunkar were also present at the meeting.
Responding to the MLA’s request for a solution, the landlord is reported to have agreed to mark another road through one end of his vast property, provided the State government legally acquires the land and rightful compensation is paid to him.
As demanded by locals, the landlord agreed to demarcate the road diversion within next two days and also agreed not demolish two toilets
in his property.
