MAPUSA
Cautioning authorities against encouraging sprouting of slums in the State, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said government departments should not issue connections of power and water to shanties.
Lobo also said that the migrants that reside in the slums in Calangute cannot be attributed as vote bank politics as most of them did not have voting rights in the State.
He said slum-like areas have developed in two wards in Calangute “ Agarvaddo and Kobravaddo “ which are in private properties.
He also said that locals have given rooms on rent to migrants to generate income.
“They have made huts like structures (shanties) and given on rent. It is dangerous because if fire incident takes place the entire area can be under a threat. The village panchayat and the government should take action against them,” Lobos said.
“The electricity department should not issue power connection to such shanties,” he added.
The Calangute MLA was responding to the recent fire incident where over 50 shanties were reduced to ashes at Agarvaddo, Calangute.
The shanties were so close to each other that the entire colony was consumed by fire within minutes.
Several LPG cylinders blasted in the fire besides the fire personnel shifted more than 50 gas cylinders from the area.
Continuing, Lobo said that an entrepreneur has to take several permissions and follow rules while building a guest house but migrants set up shanties without any permission.
“There should be proper laws to contain such activities,” he said.
He disagreed that the migrants who have been staying in Calangute were a political vote bank.
“I don’t think they vote in Goa. They come here and work in hotels, shacks, restaurants and construction sites. Most of them do not have voting cards in the State,” he said.
