MARGAO
In a strange turn of events, the gram sabha meeting of the Rumdamol village panchayat held on Sunday at the Panchayat Hall was chaired not by an elected representative, but by an Administrator. This is perhaps the first time in recent memory that such a situation has occurred in Rumdamol.
The panchayat is currently under administrative rule following the resignation of both the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch. The election scheduled for August 4 to choose a new sarpanch fell through after both the Presiding Officer and his deputy failed to attend, citing health reasons.
The meeting chaired by Administrator Pradeep Tamankar saw a poor turnout, with only one panchayat member, Sofia Sheikh, in attendance. According to sources, just 11 to 12 gram sabha members were present, and the meeting concluded in less than an hour.
While the agenda did not feature any major issues, the Administrator and those present discussed ongoing development concerns. A key topic was the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which involves the sterilisation of stray dogs.
The meeting also addressed the growing problem of roadside garbage dumping. It was decided that action would be taken against landlords and tenants found responsible. To facilitate this, a list of tenants residing in the village will be obtained from the Maina-Curtorim police station. The Administrator and the Panchayat Secretary noted that, despite regular waste collection, garbage continues to accumulate along the roadsides.
