MARGAO
There’s finally a ray of hope that abandoned vehicles in the commercial capital, which has become an eyesore and a breeding ground for vector-borne diseases, will be towed away from the public spaces.
For, the South Goa district Magistrate Jyoti Kumari has issued a proclamation, directing the owners of the 32 vehicles identified by the Margao traffic cell, to submit their claims to the office of the deputy Collector and Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao within six months from the publication of the proclamation.
The proclamation has warned that if no objection or claim is received within the stipulated time, the vehicles will be forfeited in favour of the State government and be disposed of by public auction under the law. The proclamation further stated that no further claims will be entertained from anyone after the due date and the proceeds will be forfeited to the government.
The proclamation has been issued after the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic submitted a list of abandoned/unclaimed vehicles which has been found lying for a long period in the jurisdiction of Margao city.
“The abandoned vehicles are breeding grounds for mosquitoes which causes a rise in vector-borne diseases and thus leads to health hazard to the staff of police station and also to the general public,” the proclamation stated.
A glance at the list of the 32 vehicles declared as abandoned by the Traffic police showed that most of the abandoned vehicles are cars, besides tempos, pick-ups, rickshaws, a bus and a minibus.
The issue of abandoned vehicles had been hanging fire over the last many years with the drive initiated by the Margao Municipal Council in coordination with the Margao traffic cell failing to take off for a host of reasons, including lack of space to store the vehicles.
Officials in the know informed that the district Collector Jyoti Kumari has stepped in to dispose of the abandoned vehicles after a meeting of various agencies convened by Congress-turned-Margao MLA Digambar Kamat around two months ago, wherein it was decided that the issue will be resolved by the district Collector.
Incidentally, sources questioned whether the Traffic police has revised the list of abandoned vehicles to date or whether the list submitted to the office of the district Collector was compiled months, if not years ago.
