MARGAO
The Congress party has knocked the doors of the High Court with a plea to take suo moto cognizance of what party leaders called as a brazen hill cutting activities across the state.
The Congress leaders pointed out that the proposed system unveiled by the government appointing the village talathis as the first contact officials to report hill cutting has failed to take off.
Addressing the media at the South district Congress office on Wednesday, party leader Moreno Rebello informed that the party has filed a petition to the Registrar of the Bombay High Court to take suo moto cognizance of the rampant hill cutting in the state.
“We have addressed a petition to the Registrar of the Bombay High Court to take cognizance and initiate action. We are confident the high Court will take cognisance of our plea and initiate action”, Moreno added.
Congress general secretary Everson Vales claimed that the system to appoint the village talathi as the first contact official to report hill cutting has failed to take off. Citing an instance at Nuvem, Everson said he tried to contact the village talathi on Wednesday, but the official said he is presently on leave. He said he tried to contact the flying squad in vain, adding that he had to finally knock the doors of the district Collector, who helped to send the flying squad. “This only goes to show that the government is only paying lip service to hill cuttings and land fillings,” Everson added.
Congress leader from Margao Savio Coutinho feared that destruction of hills will not only affect the environment, but also have a adverse bearing on the availability of ground water.
