MARGAO
Has the commercial capital finally been freed of abandoned and scrap vehicles after the South Goa district Collector issued a proclamation last year, setting a six-month ultimatum for the owners to remove the vehicles dumped along the roadsides or face action? Or has the proclamation been consigned to the dusty records of the Collectorate or the Traffic Department, resulting in the ground reality remaining unchanged?
Alternatively, have the concerned departments, including the Margao Municipal Council, failed to identify suitable land for parking abandoned vehicles?
Otherwise, consider this: On December 16, 2022, then South Goa District Collector, Jyoti Kumari, IAS, issued a proclamation under Section 26 of the Indian Police Act, 1861, calling upon all persons interested in the vehicles identified by the Margao Traffic Cell to submit their claims, if any, to the office of the Deputy Collector and Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao, within a period of six months.
The proclamation was issued based on a list of abandoned/unclaimed vehicles found lying for a long period in the jurisdiction of the Margao city area. It pointed out that the vehicles had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading to a rise in vector-borne diseases that posed health hazards to the staff of the police station and the general public.
The proclamation warned that the vehicles would be forfeited in favor of the state if no objections/claims were received within the stipulated time.
It further stated that the vehicles would be disposed of through public auction as provided by law, and no further claims would be entertained. The proceeds would be forfeited to the government. The proclamation also mentioned that the list of all 32 identified vehicles was available with the office of the Deputy Collector and SDM, Margao.
Interestingly, inquiries with the office of SDM, Margao, have revealed that the office has no knowledge of the proclamation. When The Goan contacted Margao SDM Uday Prabhudesai, to shed light on the proclamation and the list of vehicles available in his office, he feigned ignorance about such a list.
“I will check with the office regarding the proclamation issued by the District Collector, South,” he said.
Margao Traffic officials candidly admitted that the exercise had failed, primarily because there is no dedicated land to store the vehicles after they are towed from the abandoned sites. A senior official even lamented that the issue comes up at every meeting but hastened to add that the ground reality remains unchanged.
“The police cannot tow the vehicles and take them to the police station due to the lack of land. According to the understanding, the Margao Municipal Council was supposed to arrange land to house the towed vehicles. However, to date, the dedicated land in question has not been made available,” the officer said.
