MAPUSA
Acting on the direction of the High Court, the Calangute panchayat has directed a beach resort to demolish eight cottages, swimming pool and other permanent structures which were illegal and have been constructed without permission.
Goa Foundation in a PIL had complained that the owner Lloyd St Jude Joaquim Fernandes of the property in survey no 158/1 at Tivaivaddo, Calangute had permission to put up temporary structures but constructed eight cottages, swimming pool, reception block, compound wall and sewage holding tank of permanent nature.
The Calangute secretary said that the panchayat had issued permission to the resort in 2019 based on the permission issued by the Goa Coastal Management Authority for temporary structures.
“All these years the panchayat has been issuing permissions to everyone based on the permission granted by GCZMA for temporary structures and separate construction licences are not issued,” said Arjun Velip, panchayat secretary.
“Since no permission is produced for the other (permanent) structures which is beyond the permission granted by the GCZMA and the panchayat, the structures are illegal and hence the panchayat resolved to demolish them within 15 days,” the secretary added.
The panchayat issued the demolition order on October 16.
