A shocking development came to light today, involving a gross irregularity committed by the Collector of South Goa District Mr G P Naik now temporarily officiating as the Chief Officer of Margao Municipal Council.
Vide a CORRIGENDUM No:3(C)/1/07-08/TECH/2258 dated 26/12/2007 copied to a) the proprietors of land surveyed under PTS 152 Chalta Nos 61 & 62 belonging to Roque Carmo Souza, resident of A C Pacheco Road Borda & PTS 152 Chalta Nos 72 of Joaquim Clemente, foreign national of Indian origin (now believed to be living in Ontario Canada; )and b) the developer/Builder Mr Jayant Vinayak Naik, Proprietor of M/s Delta Real Estates, Opp Pimpalkatta Margao and resident of Comba Margao Goa (the brother-in law of ex CM & Home Minister Mr Ravi Sitaram Naik ) and c) other residents of the apartments Roque Carmo Phase-II Borda Margao, Mr G P Naik, Collector South Goa District affixing his signature as Chief Officer Margao Municipal Council (not as acting CO) has sought to clarify that ...quote "after PERUSING the above documents referring to ---a) Development permission of SPD.P.4530/97-88 dated 23/07/1987 b) Construction Licence A/172/87 dated 27.11.1987 issued to Roque Carmo Souza and c) letter from Roque Carmo Souza and Joaquim Clemente dated nil under entry No 1698 by MMC d) three Occupancy certificates dated 7.3.1989, e) etc 7.11.1991 and 26.11.1993 ... IT IS NOTICED THAT Chalta No:72 of PTS 152 and the name of Joaquim Clemente were OMITTED from the above on account of CLERICAL MISTAKE hence the same is corrected by this CORRIGENDUM...... un quote. It may be noted that the developer constructed part of the appartments ( two bldgs ) Roque Carmo Phase II on adjoining property of Joaquim Clemente without obtaining a construction licence way back in the late 80"s and early 90"s and had also not obtained the "Sanad of Conversion" on the alibi that "all builder were not doing so" even though that is a condition under the Goa Daman & Diu Land Revenue Code 1968. The then SDO Dy Collector SD Margao had on 5th September, 1996 issued an "Order" for unauthorised change of land use and directed the developers and land owners if they so desire to have the same regularised on paying conversion fees and a fine. Despite the above they had failed to do so and only when the then SDO and Dy Collector SD Margao H Rajesh issued a show cause letter in 1998 as to why the illegal structures thereon viz two buildings should not be demolished they made attempts to regularise the same Mr G P Naik as the SDO & Dy Collector SD Margao then got the developer and one land owner to regularise (again with some illegalities though) part of the properties viz; PTS 152 Chalta 62 & 72 on paying conversion fees and fine. However they did not regularise the other part PTS 152 Chalta 61 apparently as there was an ongoing dispute with a lady owning an independent bungalow and also the fine would have been exhorbitant as the two buildings and an independent bungalow were built in the early 80's and early 90's. Though Mr G P Naik was aware of this non compliance of the order dated 5.9.1996 the only in the year 2000 filed a fresh checklist on PTS 152 Chalta No 61 This was a clear second irregularity committed by Mr G P Naik again. It was later when the then SDO & Dy Collector SD Margao Mr Sanjith Rodrigues issued an order of demolition to the land owner that they sought to regularise the same without paying the fine in terms of order dated 5.9.1996. Even the successive Collectors failed to take cognizance of how a fresh case could be filed on the subject matter for which an order in 1996 was already issued. This matter is till this date pending now the Collector who incidentally is the same Mr G P Naik. Later in his capacity as Addln Collector and Chief Officer Mr Naik also failed to reply to several letters seeking explanation on whether the construction licence for two buildings on PTS 152 Chalta Nos 72 were obtained as none of the above construction licence revised plans and the Occupancy certificates did not mention of PTS 152 Chalta Nos 72 or the name of Joaquim Clemente. It was also surprising that the Municipal Council too did not levy House tax on one of the two buildings despite the residents bringing this to the notice of the MMC. Mr Naik delayed action and subsequent CO's too delayed replies. Even some correspondence exchanged by the building residents were missing from the file after Mr G P Naik was no longer the CO MMC. The Municipal legal advisor one Mr N Padiyar too gave his considered legal opinion that after scrutiny of the file that there was no illegality, which obviously implied that there was no " clerical mistake" as now observed by Mr G P Naik. It was however an upright officer Mr Melwyn Vaz the then Chief Officer MMC who having made a thorough scrutiny of the file and most importantly the notings on the file realised the gross irregularities and with the help of the dealing hand Mr. Pedro Coelho (now retired) issued a showcause notice No:1/63/2005-06/TECH/Illegal/1582 dated 29.08.2005 to the developers and the landowners asking why the structures (two buildings) partly constructed on PTS 152 Chalta 72 without a construction licence should not be demolished. However there was no action on the above show cause notices for well over two years though Mr Roque Carmo Souza one of the land owners sought repeated clarifications on his reply to the show cause notice because he himself was having a matter before the Consumers Dispute Redressal Forum. Incidentally Mr Jayant V Naik did not reply to the same show cause notice till date as apparently this would run contrary to his submission and evidence on oath given in the trial Court and now a matter sub judiced in the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court. In the light of these developments it is clear beyond doubt that Mr G P Naik has sought to regularise a gross irregularity as a " clerical mistake " apparently due to political pressure. While the matter is being referred to the Vigilance Department for an enquiry, the news of this gross irregularity became a subject of debate by several builders this evening, when it came to night. But many fear retaliation as Mr G P Naik is the blue eyed boy of the Chief Minister Mr Digamber Kamat. They are also surprised how the a) the Collector who is other wise the District Head could act as the Chief Officer of a Municipality b) How could an "acting" Chief officer sign as the "Chief Officer" c) what was the urgency for Mr G P Naik to issue a "corrigendem" in the above case when he was only temporarily acting as CO d) was it proper on the part of Mr G P Naik to have dealt with this file A/172/87 when he himself was knowledgeable of the irregularities in his capacity as SDO & Dy Collector SD Margao, Addln Collector Chief Officer and now Collector South Goa District. This is a fit case for the "aam aadmi" Chief Minister to order an enquiry immediately. GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES, BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA) +91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Now you can chat without downloading messenger. Go to http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php