MARGAO
Highlighting the ongoing land filling in a paddy field at Voddlem Bhat, Benaulim, social activist Santan Pereira on Wednesday demanded that the government immediately hand over all 29 subjects to local panchayat bodies to safeguard village interests.
Speaking to the media near the site, Pereira said the flying squad’s visit was of little use, as the inspection was carried out in his absence despite him being the complainant.
He further demanded that if the landowner has obtained the required permissions for the land filling, these should be displayed publicly at the site. Criticising the government for not devolving the 29 subjects to panchayats as mandated under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, Pereira said many village-level issues could have been resolved if local bodies had adequate powers.
“Our paddy fields and orchard lands are being lost to settlement and land conversion. Whenever we report land filling, the authorities fail to act,” he lamented.
Pereira also urged the local Comunidade to intervene in the matter, stating that the party involved had encroached upon the storm water nullah.
