VASCO: A miffed RDA Minister and Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha has claimed that the authorities have only been holding meetings and debating the grounded pontoon issue, but no action had was being taken to remove the pontoon from Arossim beach. She said that the villagers are irked and the administration might have to face the consequences if the salvage operations did not start by Friday evening.
Saldanha was speaking at a review meeting called by her to know the progress of the salvage operations at her Cansaulim office on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Deputy CoP Premlal Sirsaiker, Additional Collector South LSR Pereira, Dy Director of Tourism Jose Roque Gracias Flor, panchas of the Cansaulim-Arossim-Cuelim panchayat, members of the local fishing community and others.
The villagers started accusing the officials from the state administration, especially Sirsaiker, of not taking action against the pontoon owner and for removal of the pontoon.
“How many more meetings we have to hold to finally see that the pontoon is removed from Arossim beach? Why can’t the required permission be obtained to ensure that the pontoon is removed before the monsoon?” Alina questioned the authorities.
She further said, “It appears that there is no outcome from our meetings, due to which the villagers are agitated. There may be a law and order problem as the villagers are ready to come onto the streets. I again request the authorities that, by Friday, they should make genuine efforts and take all permission for cutting the pontoon, and the work should anyhow start by Friday evening.”
Deputy CoP Sirsaiker informed that the Captain of Ports had refused to grant permission for a wedding at Arossim beach as the area fell beyond its jurisdiction. The meeting ended with the assurance that the agencies involved would make fresh attempts to seek the collector’s permission for cutting the pontoon.
Meanwhile, the villagers, along with the fishing community of CAC have threatened to come onto the streets if salvage operations do not start by Friday evening.
