MARGAO
Colva witnessed an uproar over alleged filling of land in a property at Gandaulim which was recently in the news after villagers and activists took up cudgels for a lady mundcar and her brother, who have been living there for years.
Agitated residents protested the filling activity despite the Town and Country Planning department’s stop-work order .
Tampers ran high as police refused entry to the village Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes inside the property after the flying squad officials arrived at the spot after three long hours.
In the confusion, a portion of the retaining wall along with the gate erected by the owner was razed down by the JCB which was inside the property.
The incident occurred at around 11 am when the local villagers along with Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes and activist Judith Almeida claimed that filling of land was allegedly going on inside the property despite the stop work order notice by the
Town and Country Planning Department.
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, who also made his presence felt at the spot, said the residents have called him as some filling work was going on inside. He said the panchayat will have to take action to remove the entrance gate if it is blocking access to a mundcar family and built without permission.
Almeida immediately called up the flying squad and also informed the Deputy Collector, Margao, besides the TCP on the activity being undertaken inside the property. The villagers claimed there was no sign of the flying squad for three hours and when an official made his presence felt at the place, a PSI attached to the Colva police station, Vishram Gawas, refused entry to the sarpanch in the property for inspection.
Heated arguments broke out between PSI Gawas and the sarpanch and villagers as they questioned the police for refusing entry to the sarpanch inside the property.
Tampers ran high after the flying squad in-charge refused to attach the JCB found inside the property on the grounds that the machinery ought to have been in a running position for the squad to attach the same, inviting criticism from the villagers, who pointed out that the flying squad has come to the site only after the JCB had completed the work and was in a stationary mode.
Incidentally, a portion of the retaining wall along with the entrance gate was razed down by the JCB. Villagers had in the past alleged that the wall had blocked their access as well as the access of the mundcar Mangala Pednekar, who has been staying along with her mentally disabled brothers in her ancestral house. “How can the owner take up filling work in the property when the TCP has issued a stop-work order?” questioned Judith Almeida.
The sarpanch told the media that he has no idea who was responsible for razing down the retaining wall, only saying the wall has been razed down by the JCB from inside the property. Colva PI Filomena Costa said police have not received any complaint on the demolition of the retaining wall and they were assessing the situation.
