MARGAO
The illegal construction of a well and development carried out adjacent the Cuncolim Industrial Estate which had raised an uproar earlier this week, has taken a new twist on Friday.
The Cuncolim Municipal Council has on Friday issued a notice to an “unknown person” to show cause with documentary evidence, if any, as to why action to demolish the said structure under section 184 of Goa Municipalities Act 1968 shall not be initiated against him.
The show cause notice signed by Cuncolim Municipal Chief Officer Joao Fernandes assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the allegations traded by fish exporter M Ibrahim that locals were trying to allegedly extort money from him over the construction of the well adjoining his fish exporting unit. The locals, however, have made a counter allegation that Ibrahim has traded the allegation since he has allegedly carried out the development without permission.
Chief Officer Fernandes, however, pointed out that when the CMC team inspected the site in question on March 9, the representatives of the management of quality exports, who were present during the inspection, have denied that the alleged construction belongs to them. He said the statement of the management of the unit was recorded and signed in the presence of the complainant Patrick Monteiro.
The show-cause notice stated that during the course of inspection, it has been noticed that a deep well has been constructed and surrounded by compound wall around the said well as shown in the transgression report enclosed herewith at the Eastern side of the Quality Exports factory at Cuncolim Industrial Estate, Cuncolim. However, the respondent management has denied the alleged construction belongs to them, the Chief Officer stated.
The CMC Chief Officer further stated the show-cause notice has been issued to an unknown person after the management of the fish exporting unit denied its involvement in the construction. “The show-cause notice will be pasted at the construction site. “We will wait for the 15 days period for the unknown person to appear before me and present his say in person along with relevant documents to prove the legality of the said construction or through authorised representative failing which the matter will be heard and decided in your absence,” he said.
