PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the Sancoale village panchayat to take adequate measures to control stray cattle menace so as to ensure traffic safety and that people are not victims of road accidents.
By a public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition, Adv Athnain Naik and others had highlighted issues of road safety including increased accidents in Sancoale village particularly near Simpal area, which had become prone to accidents by producing some photographs.
He had prayed that the respondents i.e. Directorate of Transport, Police and the Sancoale village panchayat be directed to take some road safety measures at the accident prone spot including erection of speed breakers.
Considering the issues raised in the petition, the Division Bench comprising Justice Mahesh S Sonak and Justice B P Deshpande said that it would be appropriate if the South Goa Collector and the Superintendent of Police (SP) South, consider it as a representation and take a decision on their prayers as expeditiously as possible and, in any case, within next two months.
Both, the South Goa Collector and the South SP have been asked to give appointment to petitioners and to consider their suggestions.
Stating that the photographs produced by the petitioners regarding stray cattle menace on roads were disturbing, the Court has asked the Sancoale village panchayat to be more proactive on roads and near the accident prone spot.
The Sancoale panchayat members have also been asked to give an appointment to both the petitioners so that they can explain the problem to them and that the panchayat should take steps to control stray cattle, which pose serious hazards to traffic safety and cattle themselves.
The Court has also asked the Director of Panchayats to see that the Sancoale village panchayat submit quarterly reports every year regarding the steps taken by them to control stray cattle menace on public roads.
“It is the duty of the village panchayat to deal with the stray cattle menace,” the Court said, asking the panchayat to refer to its recent directives given to all the village panchayats to control stray cattle menace on public roads particularly at night giving rise of serious accidents and to implement the amended Goa Stray Cattle Management Scheme.
