Led by Sarpanch Prakash Naik and the panch members, the locals met FDA Director Salim Veljee, who informed that he could not entertain queries regarding the restaurant as he was the first appellate authority. After listening patiently, Veljee directed the delegation to first meet the officials with whom the panchayat had registered complaints, and if there was no satisfactory outcome, only then could the aggrieved party file an appeal with him.
The delegation then met the deputy director Rajendra Naik. After the meeting, Sarpanch Naik said that the FDA officials had agreed to issue a notice to the restaurant. Later, the delegation went to the restaurant and highlighted to the media the various illegalities committed there.
Sarpanch Naik informed that a septic tank was built very close to the water pipeline, which supplied water to Merces, Santa Cruz and parts of St Andre constituency. He said, “We wrote to the PWD, but there is no action forthcoming. The owner of the property let out the place to a Panjim-based businessman, who constructed the structure without obtaining approvals from the panchayat or any other concerned authorities.”
“The panchayat has issued notices and the party gets stay orders from higher authorities like the Directorate of Panchayats. Despite the stay, the illegal work goes on,” said Naik.
He opined that political influence could be the reason why such glaring illegalities were carried out without fear. He also highlighted how a huge chunk of low-lying land was filled by the restaurateur, due to which rainwater accumulated on the road, causing great inconvenience to
the public.
