MAPUSA
While the anti-encroachment drive continued in full steam for the third straight day in Mapusa, on Friday, interference of certain councillors in the drive has come in the open exposing the fears of partiality.
Sources in the civic body informed that some councillors were moving around with the municipality staff to remove encroachments during the night but the same group of councillors were arm twisting the staff not to act against their favourite shop owners.
Councillor Sainath Raul was allegedly found abusing the municipal staff for acting against his supporter/voter in the market. In a video (which is in possession of The Goan), Raut was found allegedly shouting down the municipal staff for removing illegal extensions and goods of a shop owner who was his supporter.
The Mapusa MLA was responding to several queries from eager journalists about the anti-encroachment drive and the murmurs among the locals that this was just another sham and an attempt to jack up the “hafta” price.
From Wednesday, the Mapusa civic authorities began taking action against encroachments in road widening areas lifting paraphernalia and dismantling extensions to stalls/shops.
Continuing, the Mapusa MLA requested all the people to cooperate and remove any encroachments on their own rather than wait for authorities to take action in the matter.
