21 Sep 2023  |   06:04am IST

Mala residents, councillor oppose hill cutting in Central govt property near Maruti temple

Violators take advantage of Chaturthi holidays to destroy hill; deploy bouncers to deter locals; flying squad conducts site inspection, stops work; police complaint filed

Team Herald

PANJIM: In a sudden development, an illegal hill cutting work commenced in a property belonging to the Central government at Mala on Wednesday, taking advantage of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Seeing the illegal work near the Maruti temple, the panicked locals along with the ward councillor Shayani Chopdekar rushed to the site and tried to stop the work even as the violators had deployed bouncers to deter locals. However, the residents immediately informed the flying squad, who on receipt of complaint, promptly reached the site and stopped the work.

The Panjim police too rushed to the site. The flying squad conducted an inspection of the site and informed the locals that it will submit its report to the Panjim Deputy Collector. The locals have also decided to meet the Deputy Collector on Thursday, to demand stern action against the two violators.

Chopdekar said that some persons taking advantage of Ganesh Chaturthi holidays tried to undertake hill cutting illegally in the Central government property at Mala.

Chopdekar said that she cautioned the contractor that the illegal hill cutting would pose threat to the houses situated below the hill and could prove disastrous.

According to Chopdekar, in the past an attempt was made to undertake illegal activity at the same site and the violators were stopped by the residents.

The residents alleged that the contactor had deployed bouncers to prevent the locals from going to the property to stop the hill cutting. The residents later filed a police complaint at the Panjim police station.