OLD GOA
Differences between two groups of villagers threatened to disrupt the Merces village gram sabha on Sunday with Sarpanch Sunita Palyekar warning the villagers that she would be forced to conclude the meeting midway if matters go out of hand.
However, better sense prevailed after the police and the local MLA Tony Fernandes played pacifiers and the gram sabha finally concluded after a prolonged delay due to the constant arguments that broke between the two groups on practically every issue that was raised.
A fuming secretary Oswyn Mascarenhas also lambasted the conduct of the villagers and said in his 10 years of service, this was the most chaotic gram sabha that he has ever conducted.
"When one person raises an issue, others join in chorus and it becomes difficult to note down what the villagers are trying to convey,"
Mascarenhas pointed out and opined that the outcome of such noisy gram sabhas is ultimately nil.
Meanwhile, the issue of mobile phone towers was thoroughly discussed with the villagers agreeing
that they have to face a lot of hardship after several towers were forced to be removed from residential areas due to radiation fears.
But, everybody agreed that they need mobile phone towers but these have to be installed in non-residential areas.
MLA Fernandes also pitched in for the towers as he said that these are a must in today's modern world.
The MLA then suggested that the villagers should form a committee and identify a place for the setting up of the towers.
Finally, two sites were identified - one at Hindu crematorium at
Voilem Bhat and the other at the site where the court complex is coming up.
The issue of garbage was also discussed threadbare with the villagers urging the panchayat to come out with a solution on the issue.
Since there is lack of space, a villager Jack D'Souza suggested that the panchayat could look in setting up a waste treatment plant in the unutilized area acquired for ‘Tourism Bhavan'.
D'Souza further stated that a sewerage pipeline should also be set up in Merces to deal with the sewage problem.
Local MLA Tony Fernandes stated that former MLA Babush Monserratte had initiated a survey of laying sewerage line in entire St Cruz Assembly constituency, for which the estimates were also prepared.
"I will follow up on the issue with the authorities concerned,"the legislator promised.
issue of availability of land for setting up basic infrastructural facilities in the village, several government projects are coming up in the village which has irked the villagers.
The issue was raised at the Sunday gram sabha by a villager Michael Dias who pointed out that even though facilities like health centre, community hall, post office, etc, are lacking in Merces due to non-availability of land, government projects like court complex, Goa Bazaar and others are being set up in the village at the cost of the villagers.
"More than a decade back, land was acquired by the government for setting up ‘Tourism Bhavan' but it lies unutilized," Dias informed and urged the panchayat authorities to get the land transferred in the name of the panchayat and built there all the infrastructural facilities that are needed for the village.
Local MLA Tony Fernandes said he will take up the issue with the authorities concerned so that all queries of the locals are addressed.
"I will set up a meeting between the GSIDC director and a delegation of villagers so that the locals get a chance to put forth their point of view," he added.
