PANJIM: It will now not be the responsibility of The Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) and municipal councils to dispose of abandoned/unclaimed vehicles in their respective jurisdictions as the District Magistrates and police authorities will be the authority to dispose them.
In a circular sent to the CCP commissioner and chief officers of municipal councils, Additional Director of Urban Development Additional Director Clen Madeira stated that the government has decided that the District Magistrates and Police authorities will be the authority to dispose of abandoned/unclaimed vehicles in the municipal areas.
The sale proceeds from the abandoned vehicles will be deposited with the State government/treasury.
Earlier, municipal councils used to engage the services of a private towing agency to tow vehicles, including two-wheelers found abandoned or unattended for months in their respective jurisdiction in a bid to decongest roads and ensure smooth flow of traffic.
But the municipal councils faced problems to park them at a place even as in few cases the owners used to free their vehicles by paying the costs of removal and after submitting an undertaking that they will not park their vehicles unauthorisedly on roads.
In most of the cases the municipal councils had to wait for the District Collectors to issue a proclamation to auction the unclaimed vehicles towed by them only after police verifying whether these vehicles were involved in any court case.
Last year, following consistent demands by CCP corporators Soraya Pinto Makhija and Ruth Furtado, the CCP towed more than 100 vehicles and paid a fee of Rs 1.5 lakh to a private security agency to guard these vehicles at Campal Parade ground till a few owners claimed them and the traffic police wrote to the North Goa Collector to issue proclamation to auction the others. After five months CCP withdrew the security due to huge fees and issuing of proclamation delayed due to lockdown.
