MARGAO
People’s power reigned supreme at Sao Jose de Areal as the telecom company, which had tried to bulldoze with the installation of a mobile tower, on Monday lifted away the steel and other construction material from the government primary school complex.
The telecom company had tried to bulldoze with the tower by excavating the land to lay the foundation stone. During the weekend, Areal sarpanch Joyce Dias along with the locals questioned the construction of the tower sans nod from the panchayat.
Armed with a copy of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, the sarpanch had conveyed a message to the telecom firm officials that no policy can override the powers of the local bodies under the Panchayat Raj Act. While saying the residents are not opposed to the towers per se, the sarpanch had demanded its shifting to a nearby open space belonging to the comunidade.
Monday saw a group of villagers, including local panch Piety Cardozo, activist Freddy Travasso and others assembled at the site as the company workers lifted away the steel placed in the excavated pit.
Freddy told the media that unity displayed by the villagers and support from the local MLA Cruz Silva, BJP leader Savio Rodrigues and the panchayat has forced the telecom firm to lift away the construction material.
“We want to send across a message to the people that we can achieve so many things to protect Goa from destruction through unity,” Freddy said.
Panch Piety Cardozo thanked the villagers and the panchayat, besides MLA Cruz Silva and Velim BJP leader Savio Rodrigues for unitedly opposing the tower in the government primary school complex.
Sarpanch Joyce Dias told The Goan that while the company has started the process to lift away the construction material, the company has still not come to the panchayat to seek a nod for the shifting of the tower to a new site.
