Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has asked the Deepak Vaigankar, the Deputy Collector appointed to attend to the complaints in North Goa, to file an action taken report on unauthorised sand mining.
At the hearing, a contempt petition filed by the Goa Rivers and Protectors Network, through their secretary Dr Claude Alvares, the court Advocate General Devidas Pangam stated that in any case, the status report of the Deputy Collector will be positively filed by the next week.
Accordingly, the court placed this matter for further consideration on 05.07.2021.
“If for any reason, the affidavit or the status report cannot be filed, then, Deepak Vaigankar, the Deputy Collector appointed to attend to the complaints in North Goa to virtually attend court proceedings with the record of action if any taken by him on the issue of unauthorized sand extraction,” the court said.
The court also directed to furnish a copy of the affidavit in advance to the learned counsel for the petitioners.
Representing the petitioner Ms Alvares pointed out that the officer appointed in South Goa to take action in case of illegal sand extraction has been very responsive to the complaints made and as a result, the problem is substantially contained.
She however pointed out that the officer in North Goa is not responsive and as a result, there was illegal sand mining taking place.
