OFFENCE REGISTERED AGAINST MMC CHIEF OFFICER

VASCO: Vasco police have registered an FIR against the chief officer of the Mormugao municipal council (MMC) and the member secretary of the planning and development authority, Mormugao, for permitting an allegedly illegal construction on comunidade land.

The FIR has also been registered against one Maheshwar Shirgaonkar of house No. 527 of New Vaddem for constructing the allegedly illegal multi-storeyed house.

PI Braz Menezes, when contacted, said the case was under investigation. The plaint was filed by the attorney of the Mormugao comunidade, Menino Henriques, on December 2.

In his police complaint, Henriques has alleged that the chief officer granted a construction licence without checking the title deed of the property, while the member secretary of the PDA, Mormugao, too approved the construction plans without verifying the title deed of the land.

Henriques claimed that Shirgaonkar demolished his old tiled-roof house in April this year and started building a larger abode.

At the time, a neighbour complained about the illegal construction to the municipality and the MMC's technical section carried out a survey.

The report prepared by junior engineer S V Kudnekar, who inspected the site, states that the party has demolished the existing house and started re-construction with RCC columns, Henriques stated.

Though Kudnekar's report states that the "party has not taken any permission from this council, hence it is an illegal construction", the same technical section issued Shirgaonkar a house licence while the PDA gave clearance for the construction in July, Henriques stated.

Pointing out that Shirgaonkar paid Rs 25,406 to the MMC for the house licence No. 22/2010, Henriques questioned in his police complaint: "If the ownership of the land is not that of the applicant, how come the applicant has been given the clearance and the municipal licence."

He further pointed out that though the MMC had been made aware about the illegality in July, and he personally reminded the MMC about the same, the CO issued a stay order on the construction only on November 8, 2010.

Henriques claimed, "Even after the stay order, construction work on the house is under way in full swing. I have asked that action be taken immediately by the police and whatever material and machinery is being used be confiscated."