the goan I network
MAPUSA
Assagao locals on Sunday decided to oppose any moves to compromise on the Mhadei water issue and extended support to all the activities undertaken by the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) on the Mhadei issue.
Passing an unanimous resolution to support the work of MBA, the Assagao gram sabha also decided to support all other activists who are supporting the Mhadei issue.
While moving the resolution, Rajan Ghate said Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar was trying to score political points on Mhadei due to elections in Karnataka.
“The CM has written a letter to Yeddyurappa only with an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections in Karnataka. We should resist the move to politicize the issue. We should support all the activists who work on resolving the Mhadei issue,” Ghate said.
Giving his stamp of approval, Sarpanch Jallinder Gaonkar said all the people of Goa need to come together to fight for Mhadei.
“Irrespective of party affiliation, we all need to come together to support Mhadei and prevent its diversion,” Goankar said.
In another important decision, the gram sabha resolved to oppose the hike in power tariff proposed by the electricity department.
While moving the resolution, Owen Braganza and Olga D’Souza said despite rampant power theft, the department failed to nail the culprits.
They also said the department failed to tackle misuse of electricity and cut down electrical losses.
“Instead of rectifying the mistakes and bringing down the losses incurred by the department, government is trying to find an easy way out by burdening the common man to make up for the deficit of Rs 79 crore,” Braganza said.
The resolution was then unanimously passed.
Sarpanch Jallinder Goankar explained the panchayat’s decision to start door-to-door collection of wet and dry waste from March onwards.
Instead of imposing garbage tax, he suggested an uniform increase of house tax by Rs 200 to all houses and commercial establishments.
“The extra money collected will be utilized for garbage collection. The point to increase house tax instead of imposing garbage tax is because on house tax we get matching grants from the government,” Gaonkar said.
Several people opposed the idea to impose an uniform hike of Rs 200 for all establishments.
The sarpanch then deferred the decision for further discussion at the next gram sabha.
The issue of post office, football ground and Mahiti Ghar also came up for discussion at the meeting.
