A road is being constructed to the lush green hills having cashew orchard in the village of Siolim-Sodiem. The hills are home to various wild animals like leopards, boar, foxes, porcupine, deer, miratory birds, medicinal herbs and is a bio-diversity hotspot. The work here is carried out on a war-footing by taking advantage of three public holidays and complaint filed with the Mapusa police is not acted upon. Hundreds of labourers, excavators and other earth moving machinery is deployed at the site to hush up with the work.
Isn't it the duty of the police to maintain law and order when they have been vested with powers on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays? Are the Mapusa police trying to do a repeat show a la Assagao style at the behest of some Delhi type builders? Are the police waiting for law and order to break down?
Every road construction needs a conversion sanad and if it is not done then the State (Mamlatdar) has powers to file a case before the Deputy Collector. If it's determined that the road was constructed without a sanad then the Dy Collector has the powers to restore land to its original.
The authorities should come clear on the contentious road and if it is being constructed illegally, then it should immediatly issue a stop work order. The Tillari Irrigation Project has already brought enough destruction to the village and it is high time the locals save the last green patches for posterity.