QUEPEM: Around 100 locals and Bajrang Dal activists marched to the office of the Quepem Deputy Collector and cornered the official for having failed to act against a real estate developer, who has been allegedly undertaking hill-cutting work to develop land at Adnem.
They alleged that several petitions filed by the villagers over the last two years regarding the illegality, has not been acted upon till date by the Deputy Collector’s office.
Locals requested the Quepem Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sharmila Gaonkar to conduct an immediate site inspection and threatened to intensify the agitation if the authorities failed to act.
Taking no chances, the SDM inspected the hill site with the flying squad while the Quepem Police Station PI Deepak Pednekar was also present at the site to maintain law and order.
Former Balli-Adnem Sarpanch Rajesh Phaldesai said that the illegality has been going on since 2017 and added that he had issued seven stop work notices to the violator and copies were also forwarded to the police, Mamlatdar’s office and the Forest Department.
“The matter is with the National Green Tribunal and a stop work order has been issued to them. The matter is subjudice but the violator continues to destroy the hill despite the matter being in court. This is completely illegal,” said Phaldesai.
The SDM later told the locals that the office had received a memorandum on the matter and said that she would discuss the issue with the Talathi and the Mamlatdar and initiate action accordingly.
Gaonkar also told the locals that they need not worry about the issue and advised them not to create any confusion but maintain law and order instead.