Tension gripped Surla in Bicholim taluka on Saturday after villagers staged a protest at the panchayat office over the cancellation of a scheduled joint inspection into alleged illegal tree felling in the area. The protest was triggered after the Bicholim Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) abruptly called off the inspection that the village panchayat had arranged following demands raised during a gram sabha.
According to village biodiversity committee members and residents, hundreds of trees were allegedly felled in the area, prompting local demands for a thorough joint inspection by the panchayat, Talathi, surveyor, and forest officials. However, the Deputy Collector informed the panchayat that the Range Forest Officer (RFO) of Keri-Sankhali had already taken cognisance of the matter and registered offences under Section 8 of the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984. The official reasoned that a separate joint inspection might create discrepancies with the ongoing investigation.
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Deputy Sarpanch Subhash Fondekar said the decision disappointed villagers, as the inspection was meant to verify the actual extent of tree felling. “Residents suspect more trees have been cut than what was officially permitted,” he stated.
Zilla Panchayat member Gopal Surlekar expressed solidarity with the protesters, assuring that the issue would be raised with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. “We have confidence that the Chief Minister will intervene to resolve this matter fairly,” he said.
Villagers, meanwhile, have urged authorities to ensure transparency in the Forest Department’s findings and pledged to continue following up until all violations are accounted for.
