Team Herald
PANJIM: Tension ran high after residents of Vagator and Anjuna gathered in large numbers at the Vagator helipad and opposed the controversial move of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) to introduce pay parking in a public place.
The irate locals were in no mood to listen to the contractor employed by the GTDC and hounded him away and managed to temporarily halt the pay parking system.
The issue of illegal pay parking at the Vagator helipad, which had been ongoing for the last two days, was prominently discussed at the Anjuna gram sabha held on Sunday. Locals alleged that the GTDC was acting in a high-handed manner by collecting pay parking fees from people visiting the helipad.
“This was sheer nonsense,” they claimed, stating that the GTDC was overstepping its limits and argued that the helipad was public property and the Corporation had no locus standi to collect toll or parking fees from the area.
Sarpanch Laxmidas Chimulkar assured the villagers that he would visit the site to address the issue and went to the location and found a toll booth and gate erected at the entrance to the helipad, with the contractor employed by the GTDC illegally collecting parking fees.
Tense moments were witnessed as the villagers questioned the contractor, demanding to know how the GTDC could unilaterally collect parking fees from a public area.
They alleged that it was ‘open extortion’ and ‘harassment’ by the GTDC. A strong presence of police officers was also stationed at the site to prevent any law and order issues.
Chimulkar questioned the contractor about how the GTDC could be collecting parking fees from the Vagator helipad without consulting the panchayat. He also asked how the GTDC had set up booths and installed gates without any prior approval.
Locals, who were furious over the situation, demanded that the contractor cease collecting parking tolls from that day onward, warning that continued action would lead to serious consequences as it was greatly inconveniencing the public who visited the helipad casually.
The contractor was warned but, according to information received late in the evening, both the contractor and all those involved in collecting the toll flee fled from the site. Later, when contacted the Sarpanch stated that “without the panchayat’s knowledge or approval, the GTDC could not unilaterally impose fees on public spaces in Anjuna”.
He emphasised, “Such moves that are not in the interest of the village will be opposed. They have no panchayat approval, so they cannot come and collect parking fees on their own. We will oppose it,” he stated.