PERNEM
The Morjim panchayat’s plans to select an unused government school at Bandekar waddo as a garbage segregation site has upset locals in the area and a panchayat will interact with locals on Wednesday to take a final decision in the matter.
According to sources, the government school is in a dilapidated condition and classes have not been conducted for several years.
The Morjim panchayat had plans to use the premises as a garbage segregation site, but this proposal upset the locals.
The locals then wrote to the panchayat on December 28, 2020, to express their opposition to the plan, but locals has accused the panchayat of going ahead with the plan without taking the locals into confidence. “There are a lot of houses in the area and it is not right to turn the school premises into a garbage segregation site. Instead, the premises can be renovated and used as a Bal Bhavan, police station or some other government office,” said retired school teacher Lakshmi Naroji.
Former panch Uttam Bandekar said the locals had written to the panchayat the same day they had learnt about the panchayat’s plans. “We are still awaiting panchayat’s response to our grievances,” said Bandekar.
Manisha Taral claimed that Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte had told them that he too was not in favour of turning the school premises into a garbage segregation site.
“We would appreciate if the State government sets up some nice project at the site, but we do not want garbage to be segregated at the site,” said Taral.
The panchayat has now decided to discuss the issue at its monthly meeting on Wednesday and locals are expected to be present in large numbers outside the panchayat office.
When contacted, Morjim Sarpanch Vaishali Shetgaonkar said a decision in the matter will be taken by the panchayat on Wednesday and locals have been invited to the panchayat meeting.
