the goan I network
MAPUSA
The picturesque and popular Baga hill has come under the threat of earth moving
machines.
Residents of Arpora and members of Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) on Monday evening were shocked to find a 100-metre road constructed on Baga hill by chopping trees and destroying heavy vegetation.
Since not many people frequent the place, the road activity was not noticed by the people from the village.
“Local boys had gone for picnic in the area on January 20 but then the place was intact. It shows that the construction of the road happened in the last couple of days,” said Premanand Divkar, CCF President.
He said that the hill was rich in bio-diversity and government should ensure no concrete construction comes on the pristine hill.
Local panch member, Vidhyadar Divkar informed that he was not aware if the panchayat has given any permission for the activity on the hill. “If at all the panchayat has given NOC for construction I will ask the panchayat to revoke it. I will support and honour the wishes of my people,” the panch member said.
Expressing anguish at the destruction of the Baga hill, a local, Anna D’Mello disclosed that the local MLA, Michael Lobo had promised not to interfere on the hill.
“The MLA had said survey no 253 on Baga hill was an orchard land and wit will remain so. But when the ODP map was released the area was shown as settlement. I don’t know what my MLA is up to,” D’Mello said.
CCF said that it will not allow destruction of the Baga hill and on Tuesday they will write to every concerned authority to stop the blatant activity that was going on the hill.
Action demanded against operators
of discotheque/night club
MAPUSA: Arpora locals are up in arms against illegal activities going on in a night club/discotheque in the village and demanded action against those operating the club.
In a complaint to Anjuna Police, Residents of Sankvaddi-Arpora said illegal activities in a night club/discotheque in the village posed a threat to the lives of the locals and demanded to stop the operation of the discotheque.
The residents in their complaint also said that the owner has hired the services of bouncers to threaten and silence the residents living in the vicinity of the club.
“We request your good office to take an undertaking of the said night club/discotheque that he would close down the business which attracts illegal and unlawful activities,” said Vidhyadar Divkar, panch member of Arpora-Nagao Panchayat and villagers of Arpora in the complaint.
Incidentally, the panch member along with the Arpora-Nagao sarpanch Sakaram Naik and a CID police official conducted site inspection of the club/discotheque on Monday.
The owner of the club was also present during the inspection.
The panch member informed that several irregularities were noticed during the inspection of the discotheque and the owner and the villagers were later summoned to the police station.
“We do not want such clubs/discotheques that bring disrepute to the village. We need good tourists but not such wayward visitors who come for erotic massages,” Divkar said.
He said the panchayat has taken steps to revoke the NOC granted to the club/discotheque which will be done within a day or two.
Supporting the demand of the villagers, Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) along with the villagers on Monday in the absence of the Anjuna Police Inspector met PSI, Vishwajit Chodankar and urged him to take action against the operators of the club/discotheque.
“A couple of weeks back we submitted a memorandum to the DGP on the illegal activities going on in several massage parlours and night clubs in the Calangute coastal belt. We are yet to get a satisfactory reply from the authorities,” said Premanand Divkar, President of CCF.
