MAPUSA
The Transport Department has yet again directed the Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd (KTCL) to demolish the illegal shop constructed on the Mapusa bus stand and restore the land to its original position, but even after more than 15 days of the deadline has passed there has been no action against the structure.
More than a year back, two concrete seats stationed on the bus bay no 5 of the bus stand, which was meant for the passengers to rest, were removed and a commercial shop was constructed instead without any approvals and in gross violation of all rules and regulation.
After the issue was highlighted in the media and a sustained campaign launched by the GOACAN, work on the shop was halted but the structure continued to stay put on the bus stand.
But early last month, the activity of furnishing the shop re-started at hectic pace apparently to start commercial activity in the illegal shop.
Deputy Director of Transport, Nancy Fernandes, last month, wrote to the Managing Director of the KTCL stating that the open area on the bus-stand has been converted into a commercial shop (tea stall) without NOC of the Directorate of Transport and hence needs to be immediately demolished.
“Demolish the illegal structure constructed in bus bay no 5 at Mapusa bus-stand and restore the land to its original position within eight days,” Fernandes said.
However, even after more than 15 days there has been no action on the ground and the tea stall continues to stand firm on the bus bay no 5 of the Mapusa bus-stand.
This is the second time the KTCL has chosen to ignore directions issued by the Deputy Director of Transport to demolish the illegal structure on the bus-stand.
More than a year back, GOACAN had written to the Director of Transport that an encroachment of the passenger seating area and access to bus bay no 5 was being undertaken to construct a tea stall permitted by KTCL at the Mapusa bus-stand.
The encroachment was noticed during the inspection of the bus-stand conducted by the Monitoring Cell of the North Goa District Road Safety Committee and it was listed as a direct impediment to fire safety due to the enclosure created by this shop construction. The matter was discussed at subsequent meetings of the North Goa District Road Safety Committee chaired by the District Collector wherein it was assured that the illegal shop would be demolished and the seating area of bus bay no 5 would be restored in the interest of public safety.
