A JCB demolishes illegal rooms at Colomb-Patnem in Canacona.
Photo Credits: The Goan
CANACONA
Three rooms illegally constructed by a Mundkar on disputed mundkarial land and rented out to tourists at Colomb in Patnem-Canacona in violation of CRZ notifications were demolished by the Canacona administration.
Acting on the demolition orders of the GCZMA, Canacona Mamlatdar Manoj Korgaonkar led a demolition squad to carry out demolitions of the illegally constructed structures at Bhakti-Kutir, Colomb-Patnem near Palolem in Canacona. The demolitions are carried out in a two-day exercise on Wednesday and Thursday.
Korgaonkar informed that following GCZMA demolition order, though a 30-month period is normally allowed for the party to remove the illegal structure (3 rooms in this case) on their own, the landlord permitted an additional period to the mundkar to remove the structures.
But since the mundkar had failed to remove the structures, the demolition took place in the presence of police force on Wednesday. According to Korgaonkar, sufficient time was allowed for the tenant to remove any valuables from the rooms, which were reportedly rented out to tourists, before the actual demolition began.
As the demolition could not be completed by Wednesday evening, the demolition operations continued on Thursday. The mundkar’s residential house, which was adjacent to the tourist rooms, however, was not demolished.
Speaking to reporters during the demolition drive, the complainant and landlord Pratap Gaonkar informed that he has been contesting a mundkarial case for the last four years, due to encroachment of his land by the mundkar.
“The GCZMA has given orders for demolitions of the illegally constructed structures. I had given him (tenant) ample chance for settlement of a mundkarial case by agreeing to give eligible land to the tenant, as against the tenant’s demand to encroach on the entire property. But he (tenant) was unwilling for any settlement,” said Gaonkar.
“In the meantime, since the tenant went on to encroach further and illegally construct rooms to rent out to tourists, I presented to the GCZMA these illegal constructions which are in violation of CRZ notifications. So, the GCZMA took action and ordered the demolition of the illegal structures.”
