MARGAO
When the motion was taken up for discussion, the sarpanch along with two members of her group were conspicuous by their absence. The meeting was then chaired by Dy Sarpanch Marcelo Fernandes, who was one of the signatories to the motion. As there were no discussions, it was carried out by 4-0 votes. The motion against the sarpanch was tabled by Dy Sarpanch Marcelo Fernandes, Elizaberta D’Costa, Lucia Coutinho and Reve Dias. They had charged Antao for not being available in the panchayat office, not attending to public grievances and not taking the members into confidence regarding developmental works and panchayat matters.
Both Joaquim Alemao and his bete noire Clafacio Dias appears to be embroiled in a battle to control their stranglehold over the village panchayats in Cuncolim constituency ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls. While most of the panchayats in Cuncolim constituency have been owing allegiance to Clafacio Dias, and whose sarpanchas had petitioned the Congress High Command to give the Cuncolim ticket to him, the Joaquim group is out to prove a point or two by dislodging the sarpanchas loyal to his rival. In fact, sources in the Joaquim camp said that the group is on a mission to oust two more sarpanchas who are aligned to the Clafacio camp.
