Team Herald
MARGAO: Eight months have passed since the Public Works Department (PWD) issued eviction notices to the unauthorised kiosks at the Comba railway crossing, yet the structures remain untouched and operational.
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Sources suggest that PWD officials are reluctant to act and thus this has been kept on standby.
Former Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Chief, Savio Coutinho, highlighted that the notice cited several violations, including illegal occupation of government land and obstructing parking and traffic flow.
“Legally, since the encroached land belongs to the government, no notice was necessary. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) could have simply removed the structures under Section 174 of the Municipal Act,” Coutinho stated.
He further remarked, “It’s common knowledge in Margao that no government department dares to address any illegal activity without approval from influential figures.”
Coutinho speculated whether the notices were merely a tactic to coerce kiosk owners into ‘supporting’ the political powers in return for protection.
