MARGAO
Yet another demolition order passed by the Goa Coastal Zone Authority (GCZMA) has been upheld by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), paving the razing down of illegal structures of a Colva-based beach resort.
The same old question, however, has come back to stare at the authorities “ when will the axe finally fall on the illegal structures in the CRZ zone standing tall along the Salcete coastal belt despite the court’s directions for their demolition?
For, neither the GCZMA nor the South Goa demolition squad has put in place any mechanism for razing down illegal structures for CRZ violations along the coastal belt to date.
Resultantly: A host of demolition orders passed by the GCZMA, later confirmed by the courts, including the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and even by the Supreme Court, have been confined to the papers for want of a mechanism in place for demolition of the CRZ-violating structures.
Consider this. The complainant in the Colva resort demolition case, Colva Civic and Consumer Forum Secretary Judith Almeida on Wednesday visited the office of the Chairman of the South Goa Demolition squad, Deputy Collector, Ramesh Gaonkar, to find out when exactly the demolition squad will raze down the illegal structures erected by the Colva-based resort post-NGT order for demolition.
For, after the NGT upheld the 2022 order passed by the GCZMA, Judith went to the Deputy Collector’s office to find out the date fixed for the demolition, only to be informed that the GCZMA has still not placed funds with the demolition squad to execute the demolition orders.
An agitated Judith demanded to know what purpose would it serve if the demolition orders were not executed by the demolition squad. “Funds should not be an issue for the government, more so when the GCZMA demolition orders have been confirmed and upheld by the judiciary,” she said.
Judith has warned that she would be forced to knock on the doors of the judiciary seeking directions to the GCZMA and the Goa government to execute the demolition orders. “How can a demolition exercise be stalled on the lame excuse that there are no funds allotted to execute the orders,” she questioned.
The PWD, which is the nodal agency to execute the demolition orders passed by the demolition squad, has expressed its helplessness in the matter because it requires specialized agencies to raze down CRZ-violating structures. To tide over the situation, the PWD had prepared estimates amounting to Rs 45 lakh, but the funds have still not been sanctioned by the GCZMA.
Hopes were raised after Congress-turned-BJP MLA Aleixo Sequeira was inducted as the State’s Environment Minister after he questioned the PWD officials at his Friday darbar over the delay in executing the demolition orders.
GCZMA awaits Finance Dept approval for demolition funds
Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) Director Johnson Fernandes has said the agency has moved a file to the Finance Department for sanction of funds to execute the demolition orders of CRZ-violating structures.
The GCZMA Director said that the agency has prepared separate estimates amounting to Rs two crore, one each for North and South Goa to execute the demolition orders. “The file is presently pending with the Finance Department. Once the proposal receives the nod from the Finance Department, the funds will be placed before the Demolition squads for necessary action,” Johnson stated.
