Team Herald
PONDA: Tension rent the air at Arla-Querim on Thursday after a truck owner was allegedly found unloading “coal” at a godown.
Following complaint by the locals and sarpanch, the Ponda Police attached the truck and took the driver, cleaner and labourers into custody. However, the unloaded material later turned out to be charcoal.
Earlier, the locals caught some labourers red-handed unloading “coal” from a truck into a tempo.
The locals claimed that the godown is located in the interior part of village and as the “coal” truck laden could not move along the narrow road the vehicle was parked on main road. The workers started unloading the material into a tempo to transport it to the godown.
Later, it was revealed that material was charcoal and around 300 bags were transported by truck driver from Karnataka forest pass.
When the locals questioned the workers they realised that the “coal” was brought to stock it in the godown.
Following this, tension prevailed as a mob gathered at the spot and Sarpanch Anisha Gaude and police also arrived.
The locals said they would not allow at any cost coal storage in the village.
A source in the panchayat said the village body has not given any licence for coal storage.
However, the truck owner, a migrant said, “I had obtained permission for the godown a decade ago. But today for the first time I came with truck loaded with the material for a businessman.”
The godown owner said, “I have not given any permission to store coal.”
