MARGAO
As Art and Culture and Sports Minister Govind Gaude descended in Salcete talukas as part of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s Minister at people’s doorsteps exercise, he was flooded with a host of issues, ranging from mobile towers proposed in the villages without panchayat’s nod, issues relating to MRF facility, non-functional street lights, stray cattle menace et al.
Chinchinim Sarpanch Valentino Barretto raised the issue of the Minister’s visit to the village to inspect a sports ground without informing the panchayat body.
Controversial mobile towers bulldozed in the villages by government departments took the centre stage with the sarpanchas saying the grassroot elected members are sandwiched between the government agencies and the agitating public for no fault of theirs.
The Chinchinim sarpanch drew the attention of the Minister to the public agitation against mobile towers, saying the public is directing its tirade against the panchayat when the agencies bypass the panchayats under the new IT policy.
Sao Jose de Areal Sarpanch Joyce Dias echoed similar sentiments, pointing out that the government agencies are installing the towers without taking the local panchayat body into confidence.
Camurlim Sarpanch Basil Fernandes has demanded that the mobile companies be made to deposit the fees with the panchayat bodies before the commencement of the works.
Minister Gaude, however, pointed out that NOCs and permissions from the local bodies are no longer required from the panchayat bodies as per the new IT policy. He further said the telecom companies are setting up the towers in government properties with the permissions of the designated departments.
A couple of village sarpanchas including the Sarpanch of Sao Jose de Areal and Rumdamol raised the issue of MRF facility. Areal Sarpanch Joycee pointed out that the Margao Municipality has been allotted a shed in the Nessai industrial estate in Areal to set up a MRF facility, but the village panchayat has not been given a similar facility.
Rumdamol Panchayat member Saifulla Faniband drew attention to the fact that though the panchayat has set up the MRF facility, the Power department has now raised a bill of Rs 4 lakh towards running the facility. The Minister has advised the panchayat to move the Power department with a plea to waive the bill.
The issue of libraries and non-functional street lights was highlighted by many sarpanchas, with the Minister promising to forward their plaints to the concerned department.
