CANACONA
In response to demands from villagers for transparency, the Loliem-Polem Panchayat has agreed to post the minutes of its fortnightly meetings on its website. This decision comes after members raised concerns about the lack of information regarding approved projects and NOC (No Objection Certificate) issuance.
Panchayat Secretary Sandeep Dessai assured the Gram Sabha that the meeting minutes will be uploaded on the website within a week. This follows complaints that villagers were not informed about which projects were approved and the NOCs issued.
At the start of the Gram Sabha, the Secretary read and confirmed the minutes of the last meeting. The Sabha approved the expenditures and the budget presented.
Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) Chairperson Manoj Prabhugaonkar presented a report on the village’s biodiversity progress.
Gram Sabha member Prashant Pagi raised concerns about the Panchayat’s frequent claims of having no funds for even minor development work. He suggested ways to increase funds, such as collecting sopo tax, charging monthly rents for business premises, and ensuring that new houses comply with legal paperwork for construction taxes. He also recommended writing to the Department of Panchayats to release overdue Octroi payments from the past seven years. The Gram Sabha passed a resolution supporting these suggestions.
There was a heated discussion about the damage to roads and gutters caused by an electricity contractor laying underground cables. A resolution was passed to request that the concerned department withhold payment to the contractor until repairs are made.
Finally, members highlighted the issue of a Kadamba bus service from Margao to Tirvan being halted, causing significant inconvenience. The Panchayat will send a letter to KTC urging them to resume the service immediately.
