Team Herald
MARGAO: Citizens and local representatives in Margao are urging action to stop illegal land filling, mostly on agricultural land. Many have suggested that talathis should be responsible for keeping an eye on these activities.
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On Thursday, the District Collector met with several panchayat secretaries from Salcete’s coastal belt, along with Senior Town Planner Ranjit Borkar and Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, to discuss the issue. Illegal land filling has been reported in several places in Salcete, including Benaulim, Colva, and Navelim.
Borkar informed O Heraldo that Viegas had called the meeting to discuss how to stop illegal land filling immediately. “It has been suggested to the Collector that concerned talathis should be given the responsibility of keeping vigil on such activities and inform the concerned authorities if any such activity is detected,” he said. TCP can file an FIR against anyone involved in illegal land filling upon receiving a complaint.
MLA Viegas expressed concern over the failure of the current system to crack down on illegal land filling activities. “We have the best people in the government departments, but somehow we are not able to protect our land due to the lack of a monitoring system,” he said. He urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to take the issue seriously.
Viegas suggested that an app should be developed for reporting illegal land filling activities, similar to the one used for reporting potholes. Talathis would be held accountable for checking and reporting to the authorities, with higher authorities conducting inspections later.
