Candolim activist, who filed PIL, gets NGPDA inspection

SALIGAO: There was commotion in

Candolim

on Wednesday after the North

Goa Planning and Development Authority

(

NGPDA

) conducted a site inspection of a house owned by local resident and social activist Roshan Mathias.

Mathias is also a petitioner in a public interest litigation (PIL) in the case of draft ODP for Candolim and Calangute villages. The high court has granted a stay on the draft ODP for Candolim based on the PIL filed by the activist.

When NGPDA member secretary R K Pandita arrived at the site (survey no. 116/4) for inspection, he was gheraoed by local residents that the social activist was being targeted for taking up an issue for the village. Pandita informed the villagers that the complaint against Mathias’ structure was lodged by Krishna Govekar. Mathias said that he had, earlier, written to the NGPDA that his structure is legal and questioned for the requirement of an inspection in his property.

Speaking to reporters, another petitioner in the case,

Fatima Dias

, said that this is a politically-motivated inspection that was orchestrated by chairman of NGPDA and local MLA

Michael Lobo

.

“I can show you a number of structures built by outsiders in this vicinity that are illegal, but the NGPDA is turning a blind eye to illegalities by outsiders and targeting innocent Goans who have all the permissions,” she said.

“This structure was constructed in 1989 and the CRZ norms came into force in 1991, so how can this structure be illegal. This is a deliberate attempt by the NGPDA chairman to threaten this activist and his family,” Dias added.

Pandita said “ I am surprised that this structure has all the necessary permissions. I will place my observations before the authority’s meeting.”