Ferreira slams local body for ignoring drainage issues
Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira conducts a site inspection at the flood-prone stretch near Bastora junction on Thursday, accompanied by Deputy Collector Pandurang Gad and other officials, following repeated public complaints about waterlogging.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MAPUSA
Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira has sharply criticised the Bastora panchayat for allegedly enabling illegal commercial structures along the stretch from the Mapusa Tar junction near the flyover towards Bastora, accusing the local body of complicity in ongoing illegalities.
Ferreira, who conducted a site inspection on Thursday following repeated complaints of waterlogging in the area, alleged that the panchayat had issued Enable House Numbers (EHNs) to illegal roadside shops instead of demolishing them.
He said this action had effectively encouraged encroachment on tenanted agricultural fields and contributed to serious drainage and flooding issues.
“I strongly suspect that the Bastora panchayat is hand-in-glove with these illegal activities. They first allow the structures to come up, then let them remain, and eventually grant licences and EHNs. This is a mockery of the law,” Ferreira said.
He referred to a prior inspection in 2023 with then deputy collector Yashaswini B, now the North Goa District Collector, which was conducted due to severe flooding in the area.
Despite that, Ferreira said, the panchayat ignored the issue and began formalising illegal structures instead of addressing the root cause.
Ferreira was accompanied during the inspection by Deputy Collector Pandurang Gad, PWD Junior Engineer Vishant, Bastora panchayat members Sanila Salgaonkar and Rajesh Pilankar, and other officials.
The MLA accused the panchayat of misleading those operating the illegal shops, giving them false hope that their structures could be legalised.
“I don’t know whether the panchayat is gaining financially, but these actions cannot happen without their consent,” he alleged.
“People invest money, take loans and build on false assurances, while the larger public suffers,” he added.
Ferreira emphasised that public interest must take precedence over private enterprise. He noted that permanent shops built on tenanted fields are obstructing the natural flow of water, worsening the flooding and putting locals at risk.
“People are falling and getting injured. This cannot be allowed to continue,” he added.
He further cited a High Court order mandating the sealing and demolition of commercial structures in tenanted agricultural fields and urged immediate enforcement.
