Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: In a major High Court order to seal 20 tourism properties at Agonda beach shore for not possessing Goa State Pollution Control Board certificates, 08 of the properties are sealed by Canacona administration led by Dy. Collector Madhu Narvekar as per the order passed by High Court last week.
Nine (9) of the properties are taken up for dismantling by the concerned stakeholders themselves and authorities allowed them time until evening of Tuesday, three (3) of the Resorts/Shacks have produced the GSPCB certificates to escape the Sealing process.
In a major decision, the High Court has taken up Sealing of the 24 beachside Tourism premises all located on the Southern end of Agonda beach for not possessing Pollution Board certificate, and finally ordered for Sealing of 20 properties as four of the stakeholders have produced the GSPCB certificates.
Canaocna Dy. Collector Madhu Narvekar, Mamlatdar Manoj Korgaonkar, Canacona BDO Savio Coutinho (nodal officer for sealing), Agonda VP Secretary Amol k Naikgaunkar, and a strong police force led by a PSI of Canacona Police Station, Electricity JE Chari alongwith GSPCB JE Raj mohan Prabhudesai (who identified the properties), carried out the Sealing process of the properties.
The Sealing of 17 Resorts and Shacks started at Agonda beach shore on the High Court order on Tuesday morning.
There was a brief interaction between a stakeholder and Dy. Collector, over the later direction to disconnect the power supply to the respective properties. The stakeholder argued that the court had ordered only to seal the property and not to disconnect the electricity connection. The Dy. Collector was heard defending his orders saying the power supply is cut-off to avoid any short circuit in the sealed premises.
There is another argument that a property which is already non-operational since last year following Supreme Court order is identified by GSPCB as operating and authorities sealed it and its power supply is cut-off.
The sealing process is carried out by Agonda VP Secretary and his team in the presence of Dy. Collector, Mamlatdar and BDO.
At Least two of the properties stakeholders produced their pending application with the GSPCB for the necessary pollution certificate and the day. Collector informed that once the certificate is produced the seal would be removed.
5 of the properties which are already taken up for dismantling since the last 2 days were allowed by the Dy. Collector to complete the dismantling by evening time, while ordering the BDO to seal all other 12 properties for not possessing pollution control board certificates. Notcing the sealing process is already underway, 4 more property operators preferred to dismantle the same and engaged workers/labors to dismantle the structures. Finally a total of 9 tourism stakeholders on their own dismantled the structures thus avoiding applying lock and seal.
A few of the properties who already had guests inside their premises were allowed to permit the guests to leave the properties before the locks were applied and sealed. Considering the large area of the resorts, authorities also sought to seal only the entrance leaving the huts and restaurants inside untouched, but clearly issuing directions not to misuse the situation and warned of stern action in case the premises are found used or operated for guests. Some of the sealed tourism premises already put out signboards stating their premises are closed.
Dy. Collector has to submit the compliance report to the court on 12th March regardings its order to seal the 20 tourism structures.
According to sources, another case regarding 67 alleged illegal structures in the CRZ area is likely to come up on 12th March after it is preponed from the date previously scheduled later in the month of March.
