the goan I network
PERNEM
A group of residents from Mopa staged a protest rally to the Tambose-Ugvem-Mopa Panchayat office in Pernem taluka on Monday demanding clearance of an encroachment opposite the ground of Government Marathi Middle School.
The parents of the students studying in the middle school and some villagers have threatened to intensify their agitation if the encroachment was not cleared within four days.
The situation turned tense after former and ruling panchas were engaged in war of words and started manhandling each other.
According to sources, a local landlord had donated some part of his land to the school in 1965 and the villagers had developed the land to make playground for the students. However, the landlord's brothers carried out construction in their land and encroached on the school playground by keeping construction material.
On Monday, the protesters submitted a memorandum to Sarpanch Pallavi Rawool demanding to remove the encroachments before December 19 to celebrate Goa Liberation Day and conduct annual gathering.
During the protest, former Mopa sarpanch Rupesh Parab lashed out at Mopa Sarpanch Rawool alleging that she completed nine months as sarpanch, but failed to undertake any development work.
Replying to the allegation, Deputy Sarpanch Manmohan Sawant alleged that former sarpanch Parab encouraged illegal constructions in the school premises during his tenure. Supporting the protesters, Panch Subodh Mahale from the ruling panel claimed that the panchayat never took him into confidence regarding this issue.
The situation turned chaotic after the former and ruling panchas were engaged in a war of words and started manhandling each other. However, the police present at the site intervened and controlled the situation.
Sarpanch Rawool said the panchayat along with the school PTA had inspected the school ground and did not find any construction work. "We had warned the owner concerned not to undertake any construction. Against whom do we initiate action?" she asked. "If there is encroachment in the school property, panchayat will do its part to clear it," assured Rawool.
Stating that the panchayat is committed to solve the issue, panch Vithu Mahale appealed not to give this issue a political colour.
