NT Reporter Mapusa
The Bardez Mamlatdar office on Sunday de-sealed nine amusement rides, including a giant wheel, erected for the Shri Dev Bodgeshwar jatra fair in Mapusa after the required no-objection certificates (NOCs) from all authorities were produced.
Following the de-sealing, several rides resumed operations on Sunday evening.
Sources said that the de-sealed rides belonging to one operator. Amusement rides of other operators remained sealed as they failed to produce the mandatory clearances.
When contacted, a senior officer from the Mamlatdar office said some rides were permitted to operate as the operator had produced the required NOCs from all concerned authorities.
It may be recalled that last Wednesday, following directions of the Collector, North Goa, Additional District Collector III Pundalik Khorjuvekar directed the Bardez Deputy Collector, the Mamlatdar, and administrator of the temple, to seal and remove giant wheels and other amusement rides erected for the fair if mandatory NOCs and safety clearances were not produced.
Accordingly, on January 1, around 18 amusement rides were sealed.
Reacting to the de-sealing of the rides on Sunday, Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar questioned whether safety checks, structural audits or public risk assessments were carried out before allowing the amusement games to resume operations.
“When money speaks, rules go silent. And when authorities look the other way, public safety is forced to take the ride,” he alleged.
