MARGAO
The Curtorim village panchayat led by Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues has launched a major campaign against hill cutting in the village.
Accompanied by Panchayat members on Monday, the Sarpanch installed a board containing a clear message that the Panchayat is opposed to hill cutting at the site in question. The panchayat installed the board after complaining to the flying squad to stop the cutting of the hill at the site.
Sarpanch Milagres later told the media that the panchayat had stopped the hill cutting activity before installing the board to send a message loud and clear to all and sundry that the panchayat is vehemently opposed to hill cutting.
The Sarpanch has also appealed to the local residents as well as those who purchase properties for development not to indulge in hill cutting, asserting that the panchayat would come down heavily on the violators. “The panchayat has stopped hill cutting at Battiem after the activity was brought to our notice. We have now installed a board to drive home the message that no hill cutting activity will be tolerated in the village,” he said.
Making an appeal to the villagers to inform the Panchayat body about hill cutting, Milagres said, “100 per cent, we will act against hill cutting. Our appeal to the people is to please go by the rule book. If any illegal hill cutting is found, we will not spare the violators. We will not allow our verdant hills and mountains to be destroyed in the village. Help and support us to preserve our environment and beauty.”
Saying that the panchayat has kept the local MLA Reginaldo Lourenco informed about the hill cutting activity, the Sarpanch said the MLA has given the Panchayat full support to crack a whip on hill cutting.
The panchayat stance assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of sustained agitations by the residents of Maina, objecting to a host of housing projects coming up in the village. In fact, people of Maina had been running from pillar to post, right from the panchayat to the Salcete BDO to the court of Additional Director of Panchayats, South Goa, to object to the housing projects lined up in the village.
