MAPUSA
While the office of the North Goa Collector has issued a stop-work order against an alleged illegal hill-cutting in Moira village, residents of Camurlim have complained to various authorities about alleged hill cutting to construct a road on the property.
A hill with a steep gradient was shaved off in survey no 10/1 and work was underway in full swing on the property by the side of the main thoroughfare in Moira.
On receiving complaints of alleged hill cutting, a flying squad team rushed to the site and conducted an inspection and submitted a report to the office of the North Goa Collector.
Based on the report, the Deputy Collector, North Goa, Mandar Naik directed the concerned contractor to immediately stop the hill cutting activity on the property.
“It is observed that you have carried out hill cutting in survey no 10/1 in Moira village. There is no information board displayed for hill cutting at the site showing permissions from the Town and Country Planning department and other authorities and therefore attracts Section 17-A of the TCP Act, 1974, which is a cognizable offence,” Naik said.
Residents of the village informed that although the flying squad team arrived on the site and conducted an inspection on Wednesday, hill cutting operations continued unabated at the site on Thursday.
A local, Vincy Coelho later called the flying squad and complained about the non-stop work going on at the site despite the inspection by the authorities.
Incidentally, the hill cutting work was being carried out in the ward represented by former sarpanch Oswald Cordeiro in the Moira panchayat.
Meanwhile, residents of Camurlim village have also complained against the illegal cutting of trees and a hill in Survey no 26/1 without obtaining the necessary permissions.
Locals informed that the work was being carried out allegedly on agricultural land for the last several days.
Former sarpanch, Sharad Gad along with the locals filed a complaint against the alleged illegal activity with the North Goa Collector and several other departments including the panchayat secretary.
“The flying squad has inspected the site and a report has also been submitted to the North Goa Collector. Work is expected to be stopped at the site,” Gad told The Goan.
