MARGAO
The Aquem-Baixo village Panchayat on Friday cleared the gaddas (kiosks) and other structures along the roadside at the Rawanfond bridge under police protection.
While most of the owners complied with the notice to remove their structures in the morning, the authorities faced resistance from two gadda owners who refused to clear their kiosks. Tension escalated when one gadda owner stood in front of the JCB machine, blocking its path.
Sarpanch Floriano Fernandes and other Panchayat members refused to succumb to the tactics and stood their ground in clearing the structure under police protection.
The Margao police were initially not present at the spot, but Margao police station in-charge, PI Tulsidas Naik, rushed to the spot to provide protection to the Panchayat.
Sarpanch Floriano later told the media that the Panchayat had issued a notice to all the illegal gadda owners running business activities along the roadside near the Rawanfond bridge to clear the structures by December 27, since the activity was causing traffic congestion. “Most of the owners, barring 2-3, had cleared the structures by themselves. We had to use a JCB machine to clear the structures,” he said.
Saying that most of the gaddas had come up during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sarpanch said that the Panchayat has initiated action against the structures following complaints of traffic congestion. “We will not allow the structures to come up again. Any illegal gadda erected on the roadside will be cleared without delay,” Floriano added.
