MARGAO
The Benaulim gram sabha on Sunday has resolved to hold a meeting on May 5 to discuss the controversial issues of the Western bypass and the proposal to discharge the treated sewage water from the Colva STP into the river Sal.
The ordinary gram sabha, which was adjourned on Sunday, will now be held on May 8.
The gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Vencila Fernandes on Sunday could not proceed after members led by Royla Fernandes and others protested over what they called as the incomplete minutes of the previous gram sabha.
The members wondered how the panchayat can proceed with the agenda of the Western bypass and the sewerage issues without the confirmation of the minutes of the previous gram sabha.
Members Royla, Neri Fernandes, Rudolf Barretto and others demanded to know whether any decisions taken at Sunday’s meeting, especially on the western bypass and the sewerage issue, will have legal standing when the meeting cannot confirm the previous gram sabha minutes.
Royla further pointed out that the minutes of the previous gram sabha are silent on the sewerage issue, suspecting that it was deliberately omitted from the minutes for reasons best known to the panchayat.
She demanded that the panchayat place before the gram sabha the study, if at all conducted by the panchayat, since the time the previous gram sabha in October had discussed the issue of sewerage and Western bypass.
“No more resolutions will work. The gram sabhas have passed so many resolutions. What the panchayat should not try to gather is the expert reports so that the resolutions have stand in the court of law,” Royla added.
Over 1000 villagers of Benaulim had last month submitted a representation to the panchayat to call for a special meeting to discuss and decide on the issues of the Western bypass and the sewerage pipeline being laid by the Sewerage Corporation to discharge treated sewage from the Colva STP to the river Sal.
Meanwhile, the High Court is scheduled to hear on May 2 the contempt notice served on the Benaulim Sarpanch Vencila Fernandes over the sewerage issue. After the government counsel had submitted that the Benaulim panchayat had issued a stop-work order to stop the sewerage discharge line work underway in the village, the High Court had issued notice to the Sarpanch to show cause as to why any action under the Contempt of Courts Act should not be initiated against her.
The court, at the last date of hearing, had stayed the notice dated 19.04.2022 issued by the Sarpanch, obstructing the public project that is undertaken in terms of the directions issued in this PIL.
The HC had directed the Sewerage Corporation to file a status report on the Colva Sewerage project on June 20, while observing that work on the project cannot ordinarily be stopped based upon some apprehensions that are now being expressed at a stage where the Colva sewerage project is considerably advanced.
