Team Goemkarponn
OLDGOA: Given the presence of stalls on the walkways, the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has advised the Se Old Goa village council to take immediate action to remove the obstructions from the walkways in front of the Carl Center and Vailankanni Apartments in Old Goa. In order to remove stalls, the Commission has also requested that the Old Goa police station give the panchayat the protection it needs.
Further both, the panchayat and the police have been asked to submit action taken report to the Commission on March 21.
The GHRC received a complaint from the tenants of Carl Centre, Old Goa, and Vailankanni Apartments, alleging that the booths on the sidewalks in front of their building were obstructing traffic and infringing their human rights.
Additionally, it was interfering with their daily tasks. The proprietors of the stores on the ground level of the apartments also complained that they were losing money because it was difficult for visitors to visit their stores because of the stalls on the sidewalks.
The panchayat secretary responded by saying that no action was done because the complainants had not lodged a complaint with the panchayat office.
He claimed that the panchayat moved quickly after receiving the Commission’s notification and asked the Old Goa police to halt the unauthorized merchants using the sidewalk in front of In response, the secretary said that the panchayat and the police conducted a coordinated drive to drive out the hawkers.
However, the panchayat secretary claimed at the hearing that the booths were moving carts, while the complainants’ lawyer Vassu Shirodkar argued that the stalls were stationary.
