Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Goa government and the Tourism Department were chastised by the Bombay High Court for allowing encroachers to exploit the department’s land.
The court ordered the demolition of the 42 square meters of illegal construction that were still standing in Anjuna, despite a report submitted to the High Court indicating that the entire structure had been demolished.
Additionally, the High Court increased the costs imposed on the respondents from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
“Only because the government is not acting with vigilance is all of this possible. In this instance, the High Court noted that the Director of Tourism did not carry out the demolition order until after the peak travel season had passed, despite the Government’s vigorous defence in this Court even after the Petition was dismissed.
The commissioner nominated by the court earlier informed the court that “the northern side of the encroachment has been demolished and the existing structure as on date…” in his report. On the other hand, there are still 42 square meters of encroachment on the eastern side.
Under the direction of an environmental specialist or government organization, the destroyed area on the north side needs to be demolished once more and restored to its original location. The platform and retaining wall on the northwest side also require additional demolition and restoration to their original forms, according to the report.
“These works should be completed within 15 days from today, considering the impending monsoons,” the High Court ruled, despite the respondents, who are the alleged encroachers, seeking 30 days to remove the encroachments.
