MARGAO
In a development that may pave the way for the execution of demolition orders, the Revenue Secretary has directed the Collector North and South Goa to submit a report on all the pending demolitions and also details of the recovery proceedings initiated against the defaulters.
The Revenue Secretary Sandeep Jacques has further directed the Collector North and South to ensure that all the directions given by the various courts are complied with immediately. The Revenue Secretary has warned of action against the defaulting officers in case there is a delay in the compliance of orders.
The Revenue Secretary had chaired a meeting with senior officials of the two districts besides the director of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) in view of the contempt petition filed in the High Court over the delay in executing demolition order in North Goa.
The meeting assumes significance as far as Salcete is concerned with several demolitions pending over the last few months for want of logistics. After the High Court took up the contempt petition, the South Goa Collector, Asvin Chandru recently issued a circular to the deputy collectors in South Goa to immediately execute the demolition orders passed by the courts.
Social activist Judith Almeida, however, pointed out that the authorities should execute the demolition orders issued by the GCZMA and the courts in "both letter and spirit". She pointed out that since October 2022, violators who were issued demolition orders did not file any appeal and the GCZMA should have directed sealing of the premises till the demolition took place. She lamented that the GCZMA did not initiate action.
“There was another violator against whom a demolition order was served on May 20, 2024, giving 30 days to raze down the structure. The demolition is yet to take pace,” she added.
Judith further pointed out that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had given 30 days on May 31, 2024, to raze down structures in Sernabatim. She hoped that these structures would now be demolished immediately.
“All the officials should be answerable, especially the Member Secretary of the GCZMA. We complainants are forced to file RTIs to obtain compliance reports. Why is it that these reports are not given to us officially? We go through a long process to have violations removed and then we are further forced to struggle to get information if the demolition is complete,” she said.
