50–80 shanties found erected and leased out to migrants by property owner; electricity and water connections supplied from a single sanctioned source; questions raised over authorities’ inaction
The illegal shanties at Malbhat and the illegal power and water connections. Margao police in full force at Malbhat on Saturday.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Saturday’s inspection of Malbhat area, just a stone throw away from the Aquem side of the Margao railway station, by the Margao Police in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, has unearthed glaring illegalities, including dozens of illegal shanties with illegal power and water connections.
Around 50-80 illegal shanties were found erected in the area by the owner and leased out to migrants, only throwing up questions how come the illegalities had escaped the attention of the authorities, including the Margao Municipal Council, besides the Power and Water Supply departments.
When a team of Margao Police led by newly-posted station in-charge, PI Suraj Samant descended at the area, just adjacent to a hospital, as part of the State-wide operation in the wake of Pahalgam attack, they stumbled upon dozens of both katcha and pucca structures erected on the property by the owner. While the police team went about verifying the tenants’ verification forms filled in by the owner, the inhabitants were not found in their shanties.
PI Samant immediately sent messages to the Margao Municipal Council, and officials of the Electricity Department and PWD, Water Supply to inspect the shanties.
After the inspection, the power officials pointed out that the owner had taken a single three-phased power connection from which he had supplied individual connections to the dozens of shanties. Similar was the case in respect of the water connections, again throwing up serious questions why these illegalities had escaped the attention of these authorities.
PI Suraj Samant later told the media that the police had launched a tenant verification drive at Malbhat as part of the operations launched post-Pulwama terror attack. “We found that people had filled up the tenant verification forms, but they were not found at the place, may be they had gone for work,” he said.
He, however, added that the owner of the property has issued individual power and water connections to each of the over 80 hutments in the locality. He said the Power officials went about disconnecting power connections to the hutments, adding that the PWD, Water Supply is expected to follow suit.
Saying that the police have told the owner to direct the inhabitants to vacate the shanties, PI Samant drew attention of the owner to the recent High Court judgement directing government agencies to raze down illegal structures and submit report to the High Court.
Besides glaring illegalities, PI Samant said the inhabitants have been involved in anti-social activities on the station road, which has reported incidents of chain and mobile snatching. “We find people loitering on the station road in drunken state. They invade the road and resort to anti-social activities,” he added.
Saying the police has no idea how many inhabitants were occupying the shanties, PI Samant said the Margao Municipal Council should take the action to its logical conclusion by razing down the illegal structures.
