the goan I network
MARGAO
Ahead of the extraordinary gram sabha conveyed by the Benaulim panchayat to discuss the issue of migrants in the village on Sunday, members of the Banaulimcho Ulo on Saturday held a meeting at Voltar to highlight the illegal activities of the migrants and to appeal the people to attend Sunday’s gram sabha.
In another development, panchayat member Nilesh Prabhudesai lodged his strong objection and protest over the Sunday meeting, saying he is boycotting the meeting on grounds that it is being held without giving enough time to the gram sabha members to plan their schedule to attend the extraordinary gram sabha.
Addressing a corner meeting at Voltar-Benaulim, Seby Fernandes pointed out how the migrants have been involved in illegal activities on the beach as well as in the village. While making an appeal to the people to attend the Sunday gram sabha, Seby said the presence of the people at the gram sabha will go a long way in finding a solution to the menace of migrants.
Another villager, Jose Fernandes underlined the need for the villagers to attend the Sunday gram sabha and air their views on the burning issue. He said instances are galore where the migrants have been illegally staying in the village and are also doing business illegally.
The meeting held at Voltar was the third in the series of meeting planned by Benaulimcho Ulo across the 11 wards to bring awareness amongst the people on the migrant menace in the village.
Meanwhile, panch member Nilesh Prabhudesai, while saying that he has decided to boycott the Sunday meeting, Prabhudesai said the sSarpanch and the members supporting her are depriving rights under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act and the Goa Panchayats (Gram Sabha meetings) Rules, 1996. “I feel that this is well planned strategy not to give any opportunity to majority of Goan Benaulikars to address their grievances and suggestions as you are conducting the extraordinary gram sabha in violation of the rules. As such, the resolutions adopted at the gram sabha will not be binding on the panchayat.
Prabhudesai demanded to know why four clear days of notice were not given by the sarpanch to the public as per section 7 of the Goa Panchayats (Gram Sabha meeting) Rules, 1996. He further questioned the need to convene an extraordinary meeting when the mandatory ordinary gram sabha meeting is to be held on the first Sunday of November as per the meeting rules.
The panch member further questioned why the notice of the extraordinary gram sabha was not published till date by way of advertisement in the local newspapers, with a further question as why the notice of the meeting is not signed by the panchayat secretary as per section 54(3) of Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
