CHIMBEL: An elderly couple Mr and Mrs Paul Fernandes, residing along the Chimbel junction had the shock of their lives on Tuesday morning after seeing their Century hold ancestral house being locked and sealed by the North District Collector for the purpose of road widening.
Though, the house was sealed as per the “order” issued to the couple directing it to vacate from their own house and shift to another plot by September 14, the move has come in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The couple, suffering from various ailments, had agreed to the request of the authorities to allow demolition of their house for road widening but had sought time to vacate it and shift in view of the current economic crisis. The District Administration, however, paid no heed to their request and today morning, the house was sealed and the senior couple was left without shelter.
Tiswadi Mamlatdar had on August 16, through an order had directed to take possession of the land admeasuring 375 sq mtrs and therefore had asked the owners to vacate the premise and to shift all the belongings on or before September 14.
“My parents had agreed to shift to the plot that the government has allotted. Though, it is an unbuilt area. But we wanted time. When the people are hit by severe pandemic, this is not the way to treat, especially the senior citizen,” their daughter Andrea, said.
Paul had suffered a severe heart stroke in 2019, while earlier this year, he had undergone brain surgery. “My both parents are suffering from hypertension,” she said adding ‘even the Court failed to give justice to this old couple’.
Andrea, the fourth-generation of the family, informed that the house was built way back in 1861. “Now, government authorities feel that because of our house there are accidents at Chimbel junction and for road widening purposes, they want it to be demolished,” she said.
Paul and his wife Nancy had written to the Deputy Collector North, seeking a time period of atleast one year , so that they can construct a house to the plot allotted, considering that their daughter is currently jobless due to the pandemic.
However, the request was declined.
The road widening comes in a wake of a major fatal accident reported in November last year, wherein a tanker driver had lost control over the vehicle and had killed one and injured several others at the Chimbel junction.
This was followed by another accident wherein the truck went off-road and turned turtle, but no casualties were reported.
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