Deputy Sarpanch says elected local bodies sidelined as mega housing plans go unchecked
Betalbatim Deputy Sarpanch Ilma Dias makes a point as the panchayat members address the media on the issues plaguing the village.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
A group of Betalbatim Panchayat members led by Deputy Sarpanch Ilma Dias on Wednesday said that Panchayat members are feeling completely helpless with their powers as the elected representatives taken away.
Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes said that the panchayat bodies have no powers to decide on issues such as mega housing projects, considering the carrying capacity of the village.
Addressing the media at the Panchayat office, the Deputy Sarpanch pointed out that Panchayat members study files carefully, listen to the concerns of villagers, and pass resolutions to protect the land, environment, and the children's future. “We do the best we can, I really do it and I mean it, but what use is all that when the government itself has made us powerless?” she questioned.
She added: “Files come to us for construction licences, but they are only for namesake now. By the time they reach our table, they already have TCP clearances, Health approvals, and PWD water certificates. And these departments give their approvals sitting far away, without knowing the ground reality of our village while we are struggling in sorting out issues like garbage, sewage, etc., right under the sun.”
Saying that Betalbatim village has been facing water scarcity, she, however, said that big projects still get certificates saying water is available. “We just raised the water shortage issue yesterday, where people had no water for 15 days. They promised that we would get the supply by late evening, but this morning there were several calls saying there's no supply till now. So what should we answer to the people? Our farmers are struggling, but hotels and mega projects are using up our groundwater for swimming pools,” she said.
She added: “Our fields, our water bodies are being polluted by waste from these same hotels and we are supposed to keep adding more projects? Till when? Till we die of thirst? Till our fields are destroyed and we die of hunger? Is it not our responsibility to foresee the threats that are likely to hit our village? Our narrow village roads, once safe for our children and senior citizens to walk and cycle, are now choked with traffic and accidents because of the sudden increase in population. And what about our safety? We had several robberies in our village. These and many more issues are being taken up in our meetings.”
What is worse, she said, is that those in power — those in departments like TCP, BDO, and others — are the ones facilitating these illegalities. “They twist rules, they ignore violations, they pass orders sitting in air-conditioned offices while we, the villagers, suffer the consequences. And it seems like we are only supposed to collect garbage, clear sewage, and clean drains.”
Demanding sustainable development, Ilma said the Panchayat members are ready to fight against any unlawful acts, no matter what.
