Goemkarponn desk
SANVORDEM: Public Works Department (PWD) cracked the whip on several illegal kiosks of vegetables and fish vendors next to the Sanvordem bridge on Saturday morning. Vendors complained that they were unaware of any such drive to be carried out on Saturday.
The PWD department rolled up its sleeves and did a herculean job of razing all the illegal kiosks which were operating next to the Sanvordem bridge by encroaching the roadside in the Sanvordem area.
It may be recalled that PWD minister Nilesh Cabral had told the media two days back that any encroachments on the government lands and illegalities on the govt land will not be tolerated, and strict action will be initiated against those illegalities.
On that line, the PWD department moved swiftly and swung into action on Saturday morning, wherein most of the kiosks operators were surprised.
On this dramatic action from PWD, locals from Sanvordem have given mixed reactions as some vendors whose illegal kiosks were razed were very sad about the move and said that they were not informed about this action beforehand.
Some vendors also said that the bulldozers were run over their livelihood and not only on the kiosks. Now local panchayat should support us and arrange a place where our rehabilitation could be done immediately.
Sanvordem Sarpanch Sandeep Pawaskar reached at the bridge where the PWD razed the kiosks. Pawaskar said that after mining activities closed in 2012, this market came into existence for locals lively hood temporarily. He said that our panchayat is trying to find a permanent place to set up a market for local vendors. I am assuring that the rehabilitation process will be done as soon as possible.
PWD officials present during this action of demolishing said we had given an order to demolish the illegal kiosks which were on the PWD land
A Local from Sanvordem, Sohan Sanvordekar, said if the panchayat is collecting sopo tax from these vendors, then why are they not being given stalls. The rehabilitation of these vendors should happen quickly.
He said that Sanvordem still doesn’t have a fish market; all sanvordekars depend on the Curchorem market; now, panchayat and MLA should act quickly and work for the people of Sanvordem.
