ILLEGAL BUS SHELTERS COME UNDER RADAR OF GOA DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

The `illegal' bus shelters erected at various places in the city have come under the radar of the district administration which has now issued instructions to the Margao municipal council (MMC) to take stern action against these structures. The MMC is likely to issue a notice to the Mumbai-based advertising agency responsible for erecting the bus shelters to demolish the structures on its own immediately, failing which the MMC would take possession of the structures. Confirming the move, MMC chief officer Prasanna Acharya said that the agency failed to obtain the approval of the committee headed by the district collector before erecting the bus shelters. "The MMC had given the NOC to the agency for erecting the bus shelters early this year, based on a resolution adopted by the council in December last year. The NOC had, however, specified that the approval was subject to obtaining the necessary permissions from other government agencies. As the advertising agency, apparently failed to do so, we will take action against them," Acharya told TOI. The MMC, it is learnt, had identified some 16 bus stops in the city for providing shelters, based on the proposal submitted by the advertising agency, which stood to derive financial benefits by allowing the bus shelters to be used for outdoor advertising. Already some 5-6 bus shelters had been erected in various places, it is learnt.