MAPUSA
Residents of Anjuna appealed to the panchayat body not to issue any permission to high-rise buildings and starred hotels in the village in future unless the basic infrastructure is put in place.The locals also demanded strong action against illegal scrap yards which acted as a nuisance in the village.
“We are facing problems of irregular water and power supply every second day. Several roads are narrow and the condition of many such roads is in pitiable condition. Unless and until these very basic needs of the locals are fulfilled, the panchayat should not issue licences to mega construction projects and hotels in the village,” said Michael D’Souza, a resident of Anjuna.
The panchayat secretary informed the locals at the gram sabha meeting on Sunday that the demand was bad in law and would not hold water, but many villagers backed the demand and made sure that the resolution was passed.
The villagers also said there were many illegal scrapyards that were operating in the jurisdiction of the village panchayat and demanded that the panchayat should immediately shut operations of such illegal scrapyards.
Michael D’Souza stressed the need for rainwater harvesting as irregular water supply was a big problem. To solve the water problem in the village, he suggested taking measures for rainwater harvesting in schools, colleges and private institutions.
Another local, Michael Mendonsa, pointed out that many people were illegally running guest houses in the panchayat areas and due to this, local residents had to suffer as it put pressure on the water and power infrastructure.
Anjuna Sarpanch Laxmidas Chimulkar assured the gram sabha to conduct a survey to identify such illegal guest houses in the jurisdiction of the panchayat.
A villager, Ramesh Naik, informed that tobacco products were sold openly from roadside shops despite a ban on sale of such products and requested the panchayat to take action against such activity.
The sarpanch assured to take action against such shops with the help of police.
