MARGAO
Colva witnessed uproar on Saturday morning after agitated residents and the panchayat called the police to the mobile tower construction site as work on the project continued despite the stop work notice issued by the Colva Panchayat.
A tense situation prevailed in Ward 4 as the agitated residents demanded that the cellular company forthwith stop the work in view of the Panchayat stop work notice.
Salcete Executive Magistrate, Rosario Carvalho, who made his presence felt at the site in the evening, directed the company contractor and the owner of the property to stop the work to avert a law and order situation.
Angry locals hit the streets after they realized that the company officials continuing with the work at the tower construction site despite the Panchayat’s stop work notice. They also got Sarpanch Johnson Coelho, ward member Domingo Rodrigues and panchayat members, including former Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes to stop the work as per the notice.
The company contractor, however, refused to stop work on grounds that the work does not fall in jurisdiction of the Panchayat, further contending that the company was only required to inform the local body. The impasse continued for some time with the crowd demanding that the police and the panchayat initiate action and the company refusing to stop the work.
Capt Venzy Veigas told the media that the company should have at least respected the notice issued by the local Panchayat body and stopped the work. “If they are aggrieved by the Panchayat’s notice, the company should have challenged the Panchayat office before the court of law instead of disrespecting the notice”, he said.
Saying that the local residents are only demanding shifting of the tower from a densely populated locality to a place where there hardly any house, Venzy demanded that the company respect the sentiments of the people and stop the work.
Sarpanch Johnson Coelho told the media that the Panchayat has already issued the stop work notice to the company, demanding to know how the company can still continue with the work despite the stop work notice. Ward member Domingo Rodrigues pointed out that the residents are demanding shifting of the mobile tower since it is coming up in a residential locality. “The panchayat had initiated action by issuing the notice, but the company has not stopped the work”, he added.
The situation returned to normal only after Executive Magistrate Rosario Carvalho reached the site in the evening after being informed that the deadlock over the construction work may lead to a law and order situation.
Rosario told The Goan that he asked the company representative and the land owner to stop the work to avert a law and order situation. “Since it was already evening, I asked the company to stop the work”, he added.
