Daijiworld Media Network- Calangute

Calangute, Aug 14: A bid by the Calangute panchayat to remove allegedly illegal roadside hoardings has hit a roadblock, after agencies behind the structures secured a stay order from the additional director of panchayats.

The action was initiated following strong public demand, especially after a massive hoarding along the Calangute–Mapusa road crashed in June due to gusty winds. Concerned residents, recalling the deadly Ghatkopar hoarding collapse in Mumbai earlier this year, had petitioned the disaster management authority and the deputy collector of Bardez for urgent removal of such structures.

Locals submitted a detailed list of hoardings they claimed were illegal and unsafe, warning that poor foundations and exposure to strong winds could trigger a man-made disaster. They also alleged that the agencies had erected the displays without securing mandatory permissions.

Acting on directions from the deputy collector in July, the panchayat served notices to the concerned firms. However, the firms approached the director of panchayats and obtained relief, preventing any immediate action.

Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira confirmed that the stay order binds the panchayat’s hands. “We have also inspected the hoardings along with engineers and found no imminent threat, except for the one that collapsed due to a weak foundation,” he said, adding that similar appeals have been filed by other advertisers.

For now, the towering hoardings remain in place — their fate to be decided only after the legal tussle is resolved.