Porvorim
The village panchayat of Penha de Franca after filing a complaint with the Porvorim Police has broken the lock of the main gate of Science Park at Penha de Franca on Thursday allowing entry to the locals. The Public Works Department (PWD) had locked the main gate of the science park on February 24, 2021, to which residents reacted with anger.
Later speaking to media persons, sarpanch of Penha de Franca Swapnil Chodankar said that he has filed a complaint of wrongful restraint at the Porvorim Police station against the Executive Engineer of PWD Eduardo Pereira for putting the lock to the main gate of the Science Park.
"It has been mentioned in the aforesaid complaint that open space of land admeasuring 3375 sq metres in Survey no 34/1 was handed over to the Village Panchayat of Penha de France by Goa Housing Board on November 13, 2018, for the purpose of development and maintenance. Thus the village panchayat of Penha de Franca has acquired rights over the said plot. The panchayat under the MPLAD scheme developed the said plot into a Science Garden, a project meant for students of the Science stream and also to be utilized as a garden for the public at large. Thus the panchayat has the domain over the Science Garden and its land. On February 24, 2021, the executive engineer Eduard Pereira put a lock to the gate of the science garden and restrained us from entering the park, thus committing an offence of wrongful restraint under Section 341 of the Indian Penal Code. He has no authority and power to do so. Hence I have requested the Porvorim Police to register a complaint and also register a First Information Report against executive engineer Eduard Pereira and arrest him," said Chodankar in his complaint.
Chodankar further mentioned that the panchayat decided to break the lock and allow entry to the locals into the science garden.
"Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte has assured that he will try to provide the telescope, furniture, science equipment and WiFi with the help of corporates so that the students can study in the science park," said Chodankar.
