Margao: An exercise to scout for space in the New Market and Gandhi market to build an overhead water tank as part of fire safety preparedness in the congested markets exposed the Margao civic body and left Margao Municipal officials and staff embarrassed and red faced as the district authorities and police came across rampant encroachments in the market right under the nose of the civic officials.
Additional Collector, South Dipak Desai accompanied by Sub-divisional Magistrate, Uday Prabhudesai and Sub-divisional Police officer, DySP Santosh Desai got the Municipal workers to remove encroachments on the market pavements and footpaths, including a vehicle which was towed away, throwing up a question – what stopped the Margao Municipal Council controlled by the BJP and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat from clearing the encroachments as part of routine duties in the Municipality-owned markets.
Row over encroachment on pavements
Otherwise, how does one explain that the Municipal workers cleared the congested textile and garments lane in the New Market of the encroachments on the orders of the Additional Collector and the Police. A host of questions have indeed come to the fore, how come the Municipal Chief Officer, besides the taxation officials and the Market inspectors turned a blind eye to the encroachments, or whether political pressure had stopped the Municipal babus from cracking a whip against the encroachments?
The Sadekar lane, known for encroachments was practically free from the vendors and hawkers, indicating that a message had gone to the encroachers that the officials would descend in the market on Wednesday. Similarly, the market inspectors were told to convey a message to the traders in the New Market to keep their goods within their stalls when the officials visit the market or face seizure.
MMC failed to do their duties diligently
That the Additional Collector got the MMC and police office to lift a four-wheeler, stacked with goods and parked alongside the road in the congested textile lane of the market, further exposed the MMC market inspectors and babus how come the vehicle never came to the attention of the civic body.
In fact, when a person tried to throw around his weight, Additional Collector, Dipak Desai threatened to detain him under provision of the Disaster Management rules.
At the end of the day, the MMC workers cleared the textile lane in the New market of the encroachments, but the bigger question remains unanswered – will today’s drive just be a token exercise on the instruction of the district authorities, or will the exercise give the much needed push and courage to the civic officials to clear the Municipal-owned markets of the encroachments.
