MARGAO
New panchayats have assumed office, but the old issues have come to stare at the newly-elected village heads and the panchas.
Some of the issues have been staring at the local grassroots bodies for years now and in some cases, over a decade, without a solution. The issues such as the western bypass in Benaulim, the education hub at Davorlim, the controversial jetty and garbage management plant in Loutolim, and the infrastructural projects in Chinchinim have been hanging fire for over the years.
Villagers of Benaulim, Davorlim and Loutolim have been waging a battle against the government and its agencies opposing these projects. And, these issues are all expected to come back to haunt the newly elected sarpanchas, their deputies and members as they start their five-year journey at the panchayats.
Benaulim
No one knows better than the newly-elected sarpanch Xavier Pereira that the major issue plaguing Benaulim is the controversial western bypass passing through the village. For, Xavier has been part of the over half-a-decade battle demanding construction of the bypass on stilts. As he takes over the reins of the panchayat, Xavier is aware of the people's sentiments demanding bypass on stilts. And, he made it amply clear that the new panchayat will go for a hydrological study before knocking on the doors of the Supreme Court to build the bypass on stilts.
He told The Goan that the new panchayat will take up the bypass issue at its very first meeting and adopt a resolution on the hydrological study.
The sarpanch also said the new body will pursue the demand of the traditional fishermen with the Fisheries department to earmark land for the fisherfolk for their traditional activities and to set up a fish market.
Davorlim
Herculano Niasso returned to the saddle after five years, but he will have to address the burning issue of the education hub that has been proposed by the government in the village. Being a part of the panchayat for the last three terms, no one knows better than Herculano that villagers have been demanding that a portion of the 1.15 lakh square metres of the acquired land is reserved for village infrastructural projects.
Herculano told The Goan that the local body headed by him will take up the issue with local MLA Ulhas Tuenkar and will make a strong case with the government to leave a portion of the acquired land for the panchayat.
“We have no land to set up a material recovery facility (MRF) to treat garbage. Besides, the panchayat needs land for a community hall and sports complex. These projects can become a reality only if the government allocates a portion of the education hub land for the purpose,” he said, adding that the panchayat will take a resolution in support of the villagers' demand.
Guirdolim
Sonia Fernandes returned to the saddle of Guirdolim panchayat again, but she may have to grapple with a couple of old issues facing the village. The Water Resources Department (WRD) is yet to take up the restoration of the water bodies in the village devastated by the double-tracking project.
Sonia was a member of the panchayat and is aware of the destruction caused to the water bodies by the track doubling works. Along with the water bodies, Sonia said the new panchayat will have to grapple with the issue of a material recovery facility (MRF). The location of the MRF had kicked up an uproar, putting the issue on the back burner.
Sonia said the new panchayat will take up the issue of MRF to resolve the garbage imbroglio plaguing the village.
Chinchinim
Newly-elected sarpanch Valentino Barretto is not a stranger in Chinchinim panchayat having occupied the hot seat in the previous term. Even as Chinchonkars may be anxiously awaiting the new panchayat to resolve a host of issues plaguing the village, the sarpanch also says that a solution needs to be found to address the long-pending issues. Take the case of the panchayat ghar project, hanging fire for over a decade now. It’s now more than 10 years since the land was acquired to build a panchayat ghar and sports complex, but the project has not seen the light of the day.
Valentino said the panchayat ghar project, besides the MRF project and the contentious issue of the Dandeavaddo bypass will be accorded priority by the new body.
“We have new members elected, who may have new ideas. All the members will work together to address the burning issues,” he added.
Loutolim
Soon after taking over Loutolim panchayat, newly-elected sarpanch Joana Fernandes was forthright in stating that the new body would stand by the villagers in their opposition to the construction of the controversial jetty and the garbage management plant. Joana was categorical in saying the panchayat would respect the sentiments of the villagers in opposing the jetty as well as the garbage management plant project.
Velim
Veena Cardozo is back in the saddle of Velim panchayat after over half a decade. And, knows that she will have to resolve the issue of sanitation and other problems plaguing the Cutbona fishing jetty located in her ward. The Cutbona jetty is facing a host of issues, including sanitation for the migrant workers and the jetty road.
Besides the Cutbona jetty, Veena pointed out that the new panchayat will take development in all the wards.
