the goan I network
OLD GOA
The Chimbel locals took the panchayat authorities to task over its failure to hold its mandatory gram sabhas in the month of January and April.
Speaking on the subject at the gram sabha on Sunday, a local Tukaram Kunkolkar pointed out that this is the first gram sabha of 2019 and questioned the sarpanch why previous gram sabhas were not held.
Sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar replied that due to imposition of code of conducts on two occasions, one for the Lok Sabha polls and one for the Assembly polls, the gram sabha had to be cancelled on two previous occasions.
Not satisfied with the answer, Tukaram pointed out that in other panchayats gram sabhas were held even during code of conduct or immediately after the code ended.
Later, when the minutes of the previous gram sabha were read, locals raised objections to the resolution mentioning that majority had favoured the IT park project in the village.
“Neither there was any mention of IT park project in the agenda neither anybody had submitted written proposal to the panchayat mentioning about it, then how did it reflect in the minutes of the gram sabha,” questioned Govind Shirodkar.
When the panchayat authorities explained that it was taken up in other proposals, the locals got furious and pointed out that ‘any other proposal’ has been dropped from agendas of the gram sabhas.
The locals also refused to confirm the proceedings of the previous gram sabha and forced the secretary to drop the resolution favouring IT park project in the village. The locals also decried the setting up of barbed wire fence surrounding the IT park land while stating that it infringes on the rights of the villagers as well as the grazing animals.
They then demanded that the panchayat write to the Infotech Corporation of Goa Ltd directing it to immediately remove the barbed wire fencing failing which it would be demolished by the panchayat and the cost incurred recovered from ITCG.
A local Jaya Kundaikar highlighted the issue of water logging at the underpass near Sai Baba temple and requested the panchayat to put pressure on the developer of a posh housing society to unblock the outlet on their side. “If not, the entire outlet, at least a small portion of it, should be opened so that the rain water is allowed to pass through,” Kundaikar pleaded.
He further highlighted the non-receipt of tap water by the Kadamba plateau residents and requested that the panchayat should use its good office to get tap water at the earliest.
“By the time tap water reaches Kadamba plateau, the panchayat could write to the authorities concerned and urge them to set up a water treatment plant near the Chimbel lake and supply the water to the residents,” she stated.
Kundaikar also put forward a demand that the panchayat write to the KTCL to ply a bus on a regular basis from Panaji to Old Goa via Kadamba plateau and vice versa so that the residents residing on the plateau benefit. “Not all people residing on the Kadamba plateau own a vehicle and a regular bus service would benefit a lot of people,” she stated.
