CANACONA
After a heated and prolonged discussion, residents in Agonda discarded the government-proposed tax slabs and finally agreed to revise house tax as per their own conditions and also introduced a garbage collection tax at the Gram Sabha on Sunday.
The heated discussion followed after Agonda Panchayat Secretary Amol Naikgaunkar, citing court directives, stated there had been no house-tax revision since the last two decades.
He put forth a proposal for revision of house taxes as per the area. He explained that the panchayat body has agreed in principle to levy Rs 20 per sq. mtre for a slab/RCC house and Rs 10 per sq. mtre for a roof-tiled house against the government notification of Rs 40 and Rs 20 respectively.
He also pointed out that non-revision of House Tax could amount to contempt of court, and could even invite government’s wrath of stopping government grants, matching“grants if the panchayat failed to revise the house-tax as per the notification published in the Gazette.
The members flatly refused to introduced house taxes as per square metres of the built-up area, sparking off heated discussions and arguments as members put forth different concepts for revision in house taxes.
After intense deliberation, the residents finally agreed to a proposed revision of house as Rs 300 (roof-tiled house), Rs 600 (RCC House), Rs 800 (RCC+2) and Rs 500 (House with Manglore Tiles+RCC).
A resolution was also passed to introduced an annual garbage collection tax of Rs 200 on each household and Rs 1,000 for Commercial/Trade permits.
Incidentally, Dy Sarpanch Canisha Fernandes, Dhawalkhazen panch Nilesh Pagui and Karashir-moll Panch Ramnath Velip were conspicuous by their absence, while ex-sarpanch/panch Fatima Rodrigues, Mudkud Panch Karuna Phaldessai, Mudcheli Panch John Fernandes and Sarpanch Preettal Fernandes answered a volley of questions posed by villagers at the Gram Sabha.
People also raised the issue of potholed roads, including the main village road and the Parvem-Dessaiwada road. The sarpanch said the potholes would be covered very shortly, while the file for the completion of the Parvem-Dessaiwada road is being pursued on priority.
The PWD (Water-Supply) and electricity department staff were pulled up for erratic water and power supply respectively. They also questioned the absence of officers at the Gram Sabha meeting.
“The panchayat had written to these departments to depute their officers for the Gram Sabha to address queries, but if they fail to attend the Gram Sabha, what can we do,” asked the sarpanch.
Kisan Dessai raised the issue of the beach road for the Ganapati Visarjan, the incomplete hot-mixing of Mudkud-Betulward road, and the release of Leachate and garbage on the road from the Canacona Municipal Council’s Garbage Treatment Plant at Dumane.
