the goan I network
MAPUSA
Coming under pressure of vigilant citizens, Mapusa Municipal Council swung into action on Saturday morning and demolished several hutments that had illegally come up at the new bus stand site.
Acting on the directions of the chief officer, the civic staff descended at the site and flattened all the hutments leaving around 150 migrants mostly comprising of women folk and little children homeless.
A group of Mapusa citizens under the banner of ‘Youth of Mapusa’ created a buzz on social media on Friday posting photographs and videos of the illegal hutments lampooning the civic officials and councilors for their failure to take action against the illegality.
“These hutments were here for the last five months. I had raised the issue about these illegal migrants on social media but no one paid attention then,” said Shekar Naik, a resident of Mapusa.
The land belongs to the transport department as the site is earmarked for new Mapusa bus stand.
Pravin Asolkar of Youth of Mapusa said that they had taken up the issue to highlight the illegality.
“The little kids belonging to the migrants play around the area and at times are even seen scrambling on the main road near the Carvalho petrol pump. What if they come under the wheels of the vehicles?” he questioned.
Another member of the Youth of Mapusa, Gaurish Keni said that the migrants could be involved in criminal and unlawful activity putting the lives of the locals in danger.
Although no action was taken by the civic body for the last few months, the Minicipal Council on Saturday swooped down on the migrants and dismantled the huts, seizing the goods belonging to them.
“We have taken action against the illegal hutments on the direction of the chief officer,” said one of the municipality staff at the site.
The Youth of Mapusa later petitioned to the Mapusa Police to find the antecedents of the migrants who have encroached on the land and to take action against them in the interest of the locals.
