TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Alert members of the Benaulim Civic and Social Forum complained to the Colva police about the presence of a heavy duty truck unloading marbles in the premises of a starred beach hotel at Benaulim under construction at Sunday.
What agitated the activists was that the truck has made its presence felt in the hotel premises when the Deputy Director of Panchayats, South has given an undertaking in the High Court that the ‘stop work’ order would be implemented strictly in respect of the construction carried out by the respondents.
At the Colva police station, the truck driver claimed that the marble load has been brought to the hotel from Jodhpur. Social activist Judith Almeida said that Colva police wanted to let off the truck with a warning, but the complainant insisted that the police register a case for alleged violation of the stop work order. “We also produced a copy of the petition filed by the Benaulim Civic and Social Forum in the High Court before the Colva police for their perusal,” Judith said, adding that the Forum would be forced to knock the doors of the High Court again if the authorities take the construction work at the hotel in a casual manner.
Benaulim Civic and Social Forum President Camilo Fernandes told the media that the authorities, including the police should ensure that the stop work order is implemented in both letter and spirit. “When I was intimated about the truck unloading marbles in the hotel premises, I immediately contacted my Forum member David and Jose Rodrigues. We have also found labourers inside the premises on Sunday. The authorities should enforce the High Court order,” he demanded.
