MARGAO: The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Chief Officer along with a dozen municipal staff on Monday continued the anti-encroachment drive by confiscating goods displayed outside the five shops in Malbhat.
The CO also sealed a restaurant in the Osia complex for operating without a trade licence. The municipal staff used gas welding machine to cut the unauthorised shed in front of the restaurant. The CO informed that he will remove all protrusions including sheds that have been installed by the shop owners in the Complex.
The owners had mixed reactions to the CO’s proactive campaign to clear encroachments. While they appreciated his efforts to shut down the illegal restaurant, which was competing with other legal restaurants, they said that the municipality should have issued individual notices so that they could take permission for the sheds and pay the fine.
“The CO says he had published a notice in the newspaper but we were not aware of the same. We put up the shed to prevent of AC water and pigeon droppings from the top floors. The original plan of Osia building had a huge shed to cover all the shops but that was never constructed. We had to spend money to install a shed for ourselves”, claimed a shopkeeper.
When asked whether he plans to continue this drive and whether he is getting support from the councillors, the CO said the councillors appreciated him and support his initiative. He said he will conduct the drive every week.
