TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Who’s to be blamed for the inordinate delay in sealing the Cuncolim industrial plots housing hazardous waste till date?
Since the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) issued directions to South Goa District Collector, N D Agrawal on December 18 to seal the premises, the authorities are yet to move in the industrial estate and seal the premises.
Suspended Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Margao Dasharath Redkar had on January 1 inspected the two plots in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate and had fixed the sealing on Friday. But, none of the revenue officials, including the Collector moved in to seal the premises today in place of Redkar who is placed under suspension by the government.
When contacted, Agrawal said the government has given additional charge of Margao SDM to Deputy Collector Surendra Naik only on Friday noon. “The order giving the SDM’s additional charge to Surendra came only around afternoon”, Agrawal maintained.
Incidentally, it’s now nearly 18 days since the GSPCB had served the directions on the District Collector to seal the premises, but action is not forthcoming from the revenue authorities. The GSPCB had issued the directions for sealing the two plots after inspection conducted by the chairman Jose Manuel Noronha and other officials revealed unauthorised handling of the hazardous waste.
Meanwhile, activist Oscar Martins has slammed the government and the District Collector for the delay.
“The Collector has deliberately not sealed the premises in order to give time for the party to approach the Administrative Tribunal and obtain a stay. If Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar is serious in tackling the hazardous waste in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate, he should take cognizance of the dilly dallying tactics of the District Collector and initiate criminal proceedings against him”, Martins demanded.
