VASCO: The Mormugao Municipal Council confiscated material used to put up hoardings opposite the new terminal building of Dabolim airport on Monday.
It has also decided to file an FIR with Vasco Police against the parties involved in installing two huge hoardings despite a show cause notice-cum-stop work order issued by the MMC as well as the Chicalim Panchayat. It will also soon file a PIL before the High Court citing violation of an order regarding hoardings and seek the intervention of the Union Highways Minister.
The decisions were taken after an inspection carried out jointly by Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, MMC Chairperson Deepak Naik, Chief Officer Deepali Naik and others on Monday.
While the inspection team was busy estimating the quantum of violations, NHAI Project Director C O P Furtado visited the site and claimed that both hoardings are not illegal and no other permission is required as the land where hoardings are erected falls under the jurisdiction of the National Highway Authority of India.
Furtado also claimed that MMC had no powers to take action against the hoardings as they had been put up on the boundary of the Chicalim panchayat.
However, his claims were by the MMC CO and Almeida. Looking at verbal attack on him, Furtado left the site, and soon one Milton Barreto, who claims to be the owner of the hoardings, visited the site and presented similar claims that MMC cannot act against the hoardings as they were not in the MMC’s jurisdiction.
His claims were also rejected by the inspection team. Barreto too left the site with a warning that he would press charges if the MMC damaged the hoardings.
Speaking to reporters, MLA Almeida stated, “It is surprising that the NHAI official had no justification for the hoardings erected just a metre away from the national highway. The hoardings are not only violating High Court directions, but they could also be blocking the visibility of drivers using the said highway road. Also, it was surprising to see that the party had not taken precautionary measures as the labourers at the site were cooking food near the Naphtha oil pipeline passing just a metre away from hoarding site.
He continued, “Besides, there is a railway line passing a few metres away from the site of the hoardings. There are possibilities that the hoardings can come down with high vibrations when trains pass. To ensure that these hoardings are removed, I have asked the MMC to also file a PIL before the High Court citing violation of its order passed in the case of illegal hoardings.”
