MARGAO: Acting swiftly, Chandor Cavorim sarpanch Edward D’Silva not only issued a stop work order but also got the Flying Squad to inspect the alleged illegal land filling carried out in a field encroaching upon a stream at Bindimoll in the village.
No sooner was he informed about the illegal activity, the sarpanch rushed to the spot and stopped the work that was being carried out with a JCB machine and summoned the Flying Squad that arrived and inspected the site.
The low lying area that is actually a field was being filled up and a retaining wall was constructed by encroaching into the stream called “oll” in the local language that takes away the water from the village during the monsoons and where people angle fresh water fish when sea fishing is banned in the state.
“The Flying Squad was also surprised with the work that is going on and they will take action but I have issued stop work order to the two parties we found at the site,” said Edward adding that he suspects more people to be involved as it appears that four plots are sought to be prepared.
The panchayat has not issued any licence for any construction including a retaining wall nor have the persons got any licence or permission from the TCP Department and were carrying on the work illegally.
It appears that some migrants have purchased the land from the owner and without realising that they are converting cultivable fields into settlement zone without any land conversion they started the work and were reportedly helped by the local MLA.
“A road has been constructed through the fields without any permission or licence from any authority and we were told that the MLA did the road for these people,” claimed Edward. However, MLA Clafasio Dias denied having done the road.
