Team Herald
VASCO: Residents have complained that Mormugao Municipal Garden and Children’s Park in Vasco have turned into safe havens for anti-social elements.
The locals claim that the municipality and police have turned a blind eye to the above issues and stressed the need to maintain strict vigil at these public places to avoid any untoward incident like the seven-year-old minor’s death during the recently concluded Saptah.
An engineering student Puja Patil said the municipal garden and the children park need to be maintained properly by the concerned authorities. A vigil should be maintained on both places as I have seen many people sit, drink and litter inside at night.
Peter Andrade, another local said, “It is a fact that couples are found indulging in obscene acts in MMC-owned properties. The recent death of a young boy during saptah took place due to a demand for a sexual favour. It is quite possible that such obscene acts could be filmed and persons could be blackmailed. Security should be enhanced as smoking, drinking and obscene gestures in public occur in broad daylight too.
Sherwyn Correia, a law student from Vasco said, “The Municipal Garden and Children’s Park are the only open-air recreational spaces in Vasco. It’s a known fact that such places are misused by anti-social elements, drug addicts etc”.
“Children are particularly at risk. The general public and families avoid visiting such places. The MMC and police must step up vigil in and around these public spaces on priority” Correia said.
When asked as to what action the MMC has initiated to curb this menace, councillor Krishna (Daji) Salkar said, “In the past, MMC had resolved to employ security guards to stop such illegal activities at both public places.Now, the resolution needs to be implemented. I feel that such anti-social activities taking place in these premises should be stopped.”
