Flying squad issues 3 stop work notices
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JUNE 7
The flying squad headed by Deputy Collector, Margao Johnson Fernandes on Monday issued stop work orders to stop hill cutting at Velsao and Margao, besides land filling at Navelim.
Responding to complaints received from citizens, the flying squad first made their appearance at Velsao, where hill cutting activity was going on. “There were two separate complaints of hill cutting at Velsao. In both the case, the squad has issued stop work orders to stop the activity”, he said.
In the third case, the flying squad issued stop work order to stop hill cutting at Pajifond near the BPS club, Margao.
Incidentally, the Margao Municipal Chief Officer as well as the Deputy Collector, Margao had earlier issued work order to stop the hill cutting activity at Pajifond, but in vain.
Johnson further said that the flying squad today stopped land filling activity in a low lying paddy field at Navelim. “We had received information that three truck load of mud was dumped in the field. Accordingly, the flying squad made its presence felt at the site and later issued the stop work order”, he said.
Sources in the know said the flying squad has fulfilled its responsibility in stopping the illegal activity and has left it to the Town and country planning departments to take the cases to its logical conclusions by filing FIRs against the violators.
The flying squad had been constituted by the government to deal with illegal hill cutting and land filling activities in the state.
Incidentally, the flying squad for South Goa got its act together after local NGOs bitterly complained over its functioning, forcing the district authorities to streamline the squads to meet the avowed purpose.
