The Saligao panchayat's recent issuance of notices to alleged illegal roads-side structures has drawn criticism from several residents who claim selective targeting.
While local authorities have cited a High Court directive to crack down on unauthorised construction, allegations have surfaced that the panchayat is disproportionately targeting individuals politically opposed to the ruling establishment.
Several residents claim that while some structures have been flagged for lacking proper permissions, others allegedly linked to the ruling dispensation have been spared. And the most shocking part is that villagers whose ancestral houses which have stood for over 150 years along the main Saligao-Mapusa road have now been served notices by the local panchayat and asked to provide with proper documentation within three days.
If the panchayat is so much interested in stopping all types of illegalities in the village then why is it not taking any action against those who are still found casually filling their agricultural fields in rubble/mud using JCBs, converting them into private properties?
The panchayat should first try to stop the illegalities which are still found openly going on in most agricultural fields and then try to take advantage of the recent High Court order.
