Panjim SDO directs P'yat Secretaries to clear encroachments outside GMC

PANJIM: The Panjim Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Bhagwant ‘Pratik’ Karmali held a meeting with secretaries of St Cruz and Curca Village Panchayats and the Agacaim PI with regards to encroachments made by food vendors outside Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Super-Specialty Block, Bambolim.

Speaking to O Heraldo, Karmali said, ''I held a meeting and instructed them to conduct an encroachment clearance drive. I do not have the exact figure of how many people have encroached the area. Some of them had already been allotted stalls but still they are sitting over there. I have told the panchayat secretaries to conduct the encroachment clearance drive.”

While GMCH comes under the limits of Curca-Bambolim-Talaulim Village Panchayat, its Super Specialty Block falls under Santa Cruz Village Panchayat. However, both falls in the Agasaim police station jurisdiction.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had cracked down on unauthorised cooking activities at food stalls and hawkers operating opposite the Super Specialty Block at Bambolim.

A team of Food Safety Officers, led by the Designated Officer North Goa, conducted inspections at various food stalls and hawkers outside Goa Medical College after GMC issued a health warning notice to its staff about the unhygienic cooking practices.