the goan I network
MARGAO
Post the arrest of Goan youth Maclon Fernandes by Fatorda police, citizens have launched Fatorda Mission Saaf as part of which they have sought accountability from Fatorda PI Navlesh Desai for illegalities including matka and godgodo gambling in the jurisdiction of Fatorda and asserted they expect the officer to crack a whip against these.
Maclon, who sold mangoes from his Skoda car parked by the roadside to impress upon Goan youth to take up entrepreneurship, was picked up by the Fatorda police on Sunday drawing flak from civil society members.
While Maclon, his Skoda car and mobile phone were released around midnight in a surprise turn by the Fatorda police, citizens assembled at the Fatorda police station on Monday morning, demanding that the police book PWD officials, right from the Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer and Junior engineer, under section 34 of the Indian Police Act for obstructing traffic and endangering lives of motorists on account of the potholed roads.
“If the police could arrest Maclon under the charge of obstructing traffic for selling mangoes in his car, the PWD could be also booked for the potholed roads, causing obstruction to traffic,” Aquem-Baixo Sarpanch Siddesh Bhagat told PI Navlesh Desai at the Fatorda police station.
Congress spokesman Sidhanath Buyao wondered why the Fatorda police have not acted on the question of the flow of leachate from Sonsodo waste dumping site onto the main Gogol road, posing health hazard to citizens and obstruction to motorists.
Buyao said that the citizens of Fatorda have taken the the initiative to point out illegalities to the police. He asserted that citizens now expect the police to not only do the bidding of the political bosses, theirs as well.
The activists warned they will not take things lying down if the police harass Goan vendors coming to the city to sell their produce, which is grown by putting in hard work in the hilly areas of South Goa.
PI Navlesh, however, sought to defend the police action, saying his personnel did not target Maclon alone, but four others on Sunday. He further pointed out that the police have been consistent in its drive against f ruit and vegetable vendors doing business alongside the road.
He also listed out figures of the number of gambling cases booked by the Fatorda police, besides cases booked under section 34 of the IP Act.
