the goan I network
MAPUSA
Former Colvale sarpanch Dashrat Bicholkar on Saturday said he was targeted by the new panchayat group and the local MLA because he had taken proactive action on illegal scrapyards and carried out good development in the village.
Bicholkar also lashed out local MLA Nilkant Halarnkar for doing nothing for the village, despite being a sarpanch for long in the past. “There are more than 60 scrap yards in Colvale. I had initiated action and at least seven of these illegal scrapyards were to be demolished,” Bicholkar said.
The former Colvale sarpanch was addressing a news conference along with former deputy sarpanch Rati Varkhandkar and Tivim BJP Mandal President Satish Kandolkar in Mapusa.
Continuing, Bicholkar said soon after he became the sarpanch, he had taken up the task of identifying the series of scrapyards that had sprung up at several places in the village. “I have taken pains to gather information on the scrapyards and even approached the collector and other officials in order to take action on illegal scrapyards,” he said.
He said the demolition of the scrapyards could not take place only because the Director of Panchayats went on giving time to the scrapyard owners.
The former sarpanch also alleged that the new sarpanch along with the local MLA was trying to protect the scrapyard owners in the village.
On the charges of corruption against him, Bicholkar challenged the sarpanch and the local MLA to prove those allegations, if not he will come out with evidence of corruption against the sarpanch and the MLA.
Stating that certain persons could not digest the fact that he had brought development in the village, he said he was instrumental in fixing streetlights on several streets of the village. Bicholkar also said he had got the file of Rs 26 lakh passed for construction of a crematorium in the village.
“There are 1,200 flats coming up in the Housing Board property in Colvale. I ensured 30 per cent of these flats are reserved for Colvale locals,” he said.
Standing by the former sarpanch, Tivim BJP Mandal President Satish Kandokar said the development work done by Bicholkar did not go down well with the local MLA and the panch members and that was why he was dislodged.
