Villagers question sudden rescheduling from July
Residents of Maina In Curtorim seen outside the office of Additional Director of Panchayats, Margao on Tuesday noon.
MARGAO
Residents of Maina in Curtorim descended at the office of Additional Director of Panchayats, South on Tuesday in connection with the appeal filed by the builder against the stop work order issued by the Curtorim Panchayat.
The residents led by Moreno Rebello, Michele Rebello and others, came to the Additional Director of Panchayats office to find out how the hearing was preponed to Tuesday when the office had fixed hearing on the appeal in July. Curtorim Sarpanch Joaquim Estebeiro representing the Panchayat also attended the hearing.
When the matter came up before the Additional Panchayat Director, John Fernandes, the lawyer representing the people submitted his objection to the hearing scheduled for Tuesday when the hearing was scheduled in the July. The lawyer argued that the hearing has been preponed without obtaining the say of the Panchayat or the people.
After much argument, the Presiding officer has now fixed for hearing of the objection filed by the Panchayat to May 4. The lawyer informed that it’s only after the arguments over the preponement of the hearing takes place, than arguments will be advanced in the appeal against the Panchayat’s stop work order.
Residents of Maina wondered how come the hearing date has been preponed to April 21 when the matter was supposed to come up for hearing in July. “We do not know why there is haste on the part of some people to advance the hearing when the common date of hearing was given in July. This is totally unacceptable”, they said.
Moreno Rebello said the preponement of the hearing only goes to show how the panchayat administration and system is functioning in the state.
Residents of Maina have been waging a battle against the housing cum commercial project proposed in the locality since the last few months. In fact, a special gram sabha meeting of the Panchayat had vehemently objected to mega housing projects in Curtorim village.
