Illegal construction proliferation is the bane of Goa's housing boon. The cries and heart-wrenching wails of Sangolda residents evoke sympathy and empathy as human beings caught in the crossfire of the law. The plight of 600 homeless residents close to monsoons is pathetic.
Look at the illegal bungalow standing tall in Old Goa. Protests, hunger strikes, and legal remedies have failed to move the authorities into action. Defiance of law and statutes needs no mercy, but a different set of standards for the marginalised poor and rich raises doubts of partiality.
Why are the local bodies spared when they deliberately overlook illegalities without title? How were licences issued or connections of water, electricity, and house numbers perpetuating illegalities by encroachments on private, community land?
It is not a figment of imagination that bribes and illegal gratifications have not been exchanged to overlook willful violations. Those culprits guilty of derelictions of duty to enforce compliance with rules must equally be subjected to strict scrutiny and exemplary punishment. Facilitators must be booked and do not condemn law enforcement agencies for doing their duty.
