VASCO: As promised, the Sancoale panchayat on Thursday demolished 12 out of 15 illegal shanties erected by migrants alongside NH17-A near St Jacinto Island. Three shanties were, however, spared on humanitarian grounds and action against them would be taken within seven days time.
Panchayat informed that Sancoale villagers were upset with the way illegal shanties were erected near St Jacinto Island. They had also raised serious concerns over selling of fish on the roadsides by migrants due to which the stretch of road turned into a death trap for motorists.
The issue was also raised during the last gram sabha meeting wherein members had demanded action against the illegal shanties that had become an eyesore.
While the panchayat authorities were gearing up to take action against these illegal shanties, a car accident at the same site was reported on August 18, leaving five members of a migrant family injured while they were selling fish on the road set back area.
Thus, taking cognizance of the accident and obliging the demands of the villagers, the panchayat officials inspected the site on August 19, and found that 15 shanties were illegally erected alongside the road on the road setback area.
It was also found that 10 shanties were illegally erected by migrants selling fish alongside the NH17-A leading to Vasco from Cortalim, while five shanties were erected by labourers who are presently working for the widening work of NH17-A road under PWD. Thus directions were issued to migrants to remove their shanties on their own failing which panchayat would remove the same.
“Since these migrants failed to comply with the directions issued by us, we demolished 12 shanties today under police protection, while the inhabitants of three remaining shanties have been asked to leave the site within next seven days,” said Sancoale Sarpanch Girish Pillai.
“We took lenient view on these three shanties on humanitarian ground as some of the family members who were injured in a car accident were unable to move out due to their injuries. Thus, I have given them extra time to of seven days to shift to a safer zone. After expiry of extra time we would demolish remaining three shanties,” Pillai added.
