the goan I network
MARGAO
Migrants indulging in anti-social activities and running illegal business activities such as taxi service and fishing dominated the gram sabha of Benaulim panchayat with members expressing fears that locals eking a living on small businesses will be displaced if the dubious activities of migrants goes unchecked.
Sarpanch Aslinda Fernandes assured the gram sabha members that the matter will be discussed at the Panchayat body meeting before the Panchayat convenes a special gram sabha to discuss the issue threadbare.
The issue of migrants figured at the gram sabha after a villager Jose Fernandes wrote a letter to the Panchayat body, drawing the attention of the Panchayat to how migrants, who are staying in rented premises, are involved in anti-social activities and running businesses such as taxis.
Jose claimed that some of the migrants who are running stalls in the village are found involved in illegal activities such as drugs and prostitution.
He said though local fishermen have engaged migrant labour to carry out the traditional occupation, there’s a real threat of the traditional fishing activity being taken over by migrants in the near future.
Jose feared that Benaulim will go the Calangute and Morjim way if the local panchayat and villagers do not wake up and put an end to illegal activities.
Soliciting the cooperation of the villagers to flush out the migrants involved in illegal businesses, Jose said a public meeting would soon be called to protect the interest of the locals.
During discussions, members pointed out that though villagers have leased out their premises to migrants to carry out businesses, care should be taken to ensure that the migrants do not use the lease agreement to derive benefits such as voter registration, passport, etc. Members pointed out that the Panchayat should send notices to landlords leasing out their premises to migrants as most do not allow the tenants to use their toilets resulting in a sanitation problem.
Members also made a plea that elected members should not patronize the migrants with a sole aim of creating a vote bank.
Threats posed by a migrant by the name of Vasu were also discussed at the meeting.
Members pointed out that the authorities should initiate steps to extern the migrant from the village if he does not stop his threatening behavior.
Some of the members said people of Benaulim should all unite and get Vasu out of the village.
