SUPREME COURT DISMISSES PLEA AGAINST CMC

MARGAO: The Supreme Court has dismissed the Special Leave Petition filed by a resident of Cuncolim against the Cuncolim Municipal Council’s decision to acquire his land for the proposed administrative building.

The court decision has cleared decks for the acquisition of barren land in the vicinity of the Cuncolim bus stand to set up various public utility projects like swimming pool, open playground with 400 mts Athletic track for school children, open air stage with landscaping and garden, Ravindra Bhavan, government ITI and science centre.

That these infrastructural projects are proposed in the vicinity of the bus stand became evident when the Cuncolim Municipal Chief Officer, Shivaji B Desai filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court outlining the infrastructural projects proposed to be set up in the area.

Appellant Vishnu Bhicaro Desai had approached the Supreme Court on grounds that his objections for the acquisition of land were not considered before the final notification under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act. The other issue raised by the appellant was that there were other alternate sites of barren lands available in the vicinity for acquisition to set up the administrative building which was not considered.

Meanwhile, the Cuncolim Citizens Forum headed by Mario Moraes, who had closely monitored and briefed the counsels in the matter about the facts both at the High Court and Supreme Court, expressed his happiness over the Supreme Court decision.

He said that with the advent of the bus stand opposite the proposed acquisition, there was no way it could have been dropped. In fact, he said this project will bring all government offices located in Cuncolim Municipal area under one roof, besides a pharmacy and a bank thus making it easy and convenient for the general public.