[Reader-list] GRAB IT, BUILD IT, FORGET IT

Fri Dec 8 20:21:35 IST 2006

GRAB IT, BUILD IT, FORGET IT
By Peter de Souza and Preetu Nair

If you want a piece of Goa's coastline, follow three
simple steps. Just grab the land, build on it (after
making pretences that your structures are temporary)
and then forget it. With a little help from a lawyer
who can twist facts and a politician who is either a
fellow grabber or can keep the law away., This week
GT-Weekender looks at some of the prominent cases and
the even more prominent violators 

VIP's control coastal loot

Carryon Regardless Zone (CRZ)

ANJUNA/CALANGUTE/GOA/ INDIA: A Moon Dance restaurant
springs up in Anjuna, a shack turns into a concrete
disco on the beach, Zilla Parishad members and
panchayat heads themselves are accused in several
violation cases and their illegal buildings are there
for all to see and lo and behold, cottages supposedly
owned by a priest are in complete violation of CRZ
rules. The party goes on. 

This despite the fact that in a vital judgement, a
division bench comprising Hon. Justice Ferdin Rebello
and V C Daga of Bombay High Court, Panjim Bench in
2000 made it mandatory for Talatis and Mamlatdars to
file weekly reports, based on patrolling and
fortnightly inspection by deputy collectors, before
the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) for
necessary action through the district collectors. 

"The Talati and Mamlatdar submitted their reports to
the deputy collector and before CZMA. Based on that
demolition notices were sent to various authorities.
The trouble is that almost everyone has political
connections. Often, the politicians interfere and stop
the demolition", said Norma Alvares, environmentalist.

Though the entire belt within 200 mts of the High Tide
Line (HTL) in CRZ-III areas, such as Candolim-
Calangute is the No Development Zone (NDZ), where no
new 'construction/development' is permissible, human
settlements and starred resorts have sprung up. 

Environmentalists allege that the stipulation that no
human activity should be allowed within 500 meters of
the seashore is being violated with impunity by both
the locals and people in power. Check this: 

	Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes has allegedly
constructed a restaurant, Sheetal within 200 mts of
HTL in Candolim. NPS Varde, member secretary, Goa
Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has send a
show cause notice to him on December 6, 2001. "This
was a planned by the BJP government to malign my name,
but I came out of it unaffected," said Agnelo.
Further, within 200 to 500 mt of the HTL there are
staff quarters, seven cottages, a restaurant and his
other resort Silver Sands. 

While complainant Betty Alvares says that the cases
against Agnelo are with the Director of Panchayats and
the Deputy Director of Panchayats, Agnelo claims that
the cases have already been dismissed. "Some person
with vested interest had filed a PIL against Silver
Sands in the High Court, but has decided to withdraw
it once I showed the relevant documents. I am not
aware of the status of the case at the moment," added
Agnelo. It is reliably learnt that while Tony
Fernandes and Jerry Coutinho applied for withdrawal of
the case, one Augustino Proenca had intervened in the
matter and asked to be made party to the case, which
is scheduled for hearing next week. 

	If an MLA has allegedly violated, how can the ex-
Zilla Parishad member be left behind. Anthony Menezes
has constructed a massive discotheque Club Utopia
right on the Calangute beach. Infact, he had given an
affidavit to the Calangute panchayat on October 10,
2003, saying, "I will erect my temporary shack made of
wooden poles and palm which will be purely temporary".
He had requested for a shack license in his private
property bearing no. 139/3 Gaura vaddo, Calangute. But
today, the palm leaves and the wooden poles have given
way to cement and concrete. The panchayat on January
4, 2006 wrote to Menezes that CZMA has initiated
action against illegal construction of the discotheque
(139/3), which is within CRZ and rejected his
application for renewal of license. 
	Club Tito's is every tourist's must visit
destination in Goa. But very few know that Tito's
outhouse in Calangute has violated the CRZ norms.
David, the owner of the outhouse is embroiled in a
controversy for extending the outhouse to the CRZ. The
panchayat has charged that Tito's outhouse was not
shown in the survey plan and asked him to show if he
had any evidence to prove that the house existed prior
to 1991. However, as David failed to produce any
evidence, the Panchayat in March 26, 1999 ordered the
house to be demolished. Failing which they said that
the case would be referred to the Goa State Demolition
Squad. But the outhouse still stands intact. 
	Among the others allegedly involved in violating the
CRZ is Fr Pres, Sauntavada, Calangute. He has
allegedly constructed a guesthouse Sea View Cottages
within 200 mts of the High Tide Line under survey no.
242 (1) P. 
	On July 27, 2000, the Calangute panchayat named 300
people who own houses as well as bars and restaurants
that violate CRZ norms, to the GCZMA. A list of
illegal hotels, cold drink houses, jewellery stores
etc have also been submitted. 
	In Anjuna among the major violators of the legal CRZ
are Sarpanch Savio Almeida and ex-ZP member Milton
Marquis, British nationals Paul Vincent Smith and
Angela Luis Smith, present ZP member Krishna Moraskar,
who's constructed a two floor guest house, ex-Panch
Vasu Govekar, who's constructed Moon Dance Hotel in
the CRZ area and rented it to one Dailo. Besides,
Gurudas Moraskar, has constructed a hotel Sea Queen,
which is he conveniently converted from a building for
residential use to commercial use despite a High Court
order directing him not to do so. Meanwhile, despite
CRZ demolition notices to Savio and Milton, they
survive without any hindrance.

No wonder, the Panchayat has not issued a single
notice to CRZ violators. 

VOX POP

NORMA ALVARES, ENVIORNMENTALIST

"It is total apathy on the part of the government
which turns a blind eye to such violations and
encourages these illegalities, which definitely
amounts to contempt of court". 

DAYANAND MANDREKAR (Siolim MLA)
"I have taken down a detailed report from the Talati
and attached copies of Gomantak Times (our earlier
reports on CRZ violations) and submitted them to the
Chief Secretary, Vigilance department and Director of
Panchayats". 
DR WILFRED de SOUZA (Deputy Chief Minister,
Environment Minister)
"I don't answer any questions on Saturday as we work
very hard during the week and I need my rest. Please
don't trouble me on Saturday and Sunday. Will your
questions die by Monday? (Bang
)." 

AGNELO FERNANDES, CALANGUTE MLA
"There is a case pending on CRZ norms in the High
Court yet people are still going ahead with the
constructions but they can't be blamed for it because
how long are they going to wait for the Court order.
How can you expect the poor people to wait for so
long?" 

ANTANASIO MONSERRATE, MINISTER TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING
"All these constructions have come up with the
blessings of the local Panchayats. Town and Country
Planning is not the monitoring authority. We are
helpless in the matter. If someone complains about the
illegal constructions we revert the matter back to the
panchayat and we have no locus standee to act on it.
So the ball is in the Panchayat's court". 

ANTHONY J D'SOUZA, OSD/ENVIORNMENT, SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT 
"The Talatis submits reports to the deputy collector
regarding illegal constructions in the CRZ. The deputy
collector then sends the report to the Science,
Technology and Environment department where the orders
are issued. Additional collector requisitions nodal
officers to issue orders. Implementation powers should
be given to the collector to demolish them directly.
Lost of time is wasted in moving the files from one
office to another. This needs to be streamlined". 

"The house that David built:

Additional collector of North Goa has ordered for
demolition of the residence of David, a British
national, who has indulged in the most outrageous
infringement of the High Tide Line (HTL) and
constructed a house on the slope of a hill that hugs
the sands at the South Anjuna beach. The demolition
will happen at 10 am on January 24, 2006. 

It must be recalled that GT in its report on January
11(New definition of CRZ: Carryon Regardless Zone)
reported that in order to make room for the
illegitimate dwelling on the steep gradient, a part of
the hillock has been scooped out and two structures
are already topped with concrete slabs. 

Though David came under the GCZMA scanner and Chief
Secretary ordered for demolition, it was stopped by a
Personal Assistant of a prominent minister from the
area, who arrived at the spot and ensured that the
demolition squad returned from the site without doing
its job. After GT published the story, the file which
was actually in the possession of the minister was
"released" from his clutches and sent to the North Goa
collector for necessary action.

(Article published in GT Weekender)

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Preetu Nair 
Senior Reporter 
Gomantak Times 
St.Inez, Panaji 
Goa-403 001 
India
http://goadourada.blogspot.com/

"Freedom of mind is the real freedom"
Babasaheb Ambedkar
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