Pilerne locals discuss drainage works, tax arrears and vehicle maintenance

Deputy Sarpanch Amarnath Govekar is seen addressing the villagers.

PORVORIM

The desilting of nullahs, cleaning of drainage systems, repair of the hearse van, pending arrears of house and professional taxes, and maintenance of Panchayat vehicles were among the key issues discussed at the Gram Sabha of the Pilerne-Marra Panchayat held on Sunday.

Dy Sarpanch of the Pilerne-Marra Panchayat welcomed the villagers, following which Panchayat Secretary Keshav Phadte read out the minutes of the previous Gram Sabha meeting.

The Panchayat Secretary also presented the annual income and expenditure statement for the financial year 2025-26. The Panchayat recorded total receipts of Rs 15,03,98,966, including the closing balance of Rs 7,79,92,118 from 2024-25, government grants of Rs 34,84,177, house tax collection of Rs 71,58,034, garbage tax of Rs 50,94,699, professional tax of Rs 7,665, construction licence fees amounting to Rs 55,81,815, sanitation fees of Rs 27,36,806, business No Objection Certificate fees of Rs 31,59,799, and extraordinary receipts of Rs 4,37,25,412.

On the expenditure side, the Panchayat spent Rs 9,08,89,294 during the year. This included Rs 39,65,935 on administration, Rs 39,03,506 on sanitation, public health and family welfare, Rs 6,79,56,783 on public welfare, Rs 4,57,070 on social welfare, and Rs 5,71,381 towards the construction and maintenance of the slaughterhouse and cattle pound. The closing balance was reported at Rs 5,95,09,671.

During the discussion, some villagers objected to what they termed unnecessary expenditure on tree plantation over 18,000 square metres of land in Survey No. 31, claiming that the Comunidade had recently converted the property into a settlement area.

Responding to the issue, Sarpanch Amarnath Govekar said the Comunidade had originally handed over the land to the Panchayat as forest property and that the Panchayat was unaware of any conversion of the land into a settlement zone. He suggested that the Gram Sabha adopt a resolution urging the Comunidade to restore the land’s forest status.

Villagers also expressed concern that while nearby Porvorim was witnessing rapid development, Pillerne continued to lag behind. In response, the Sarpanch said the Pilerne-Marra Panchayat had limited open spaces, making it difficult to undertake development projects on the scale seen in Porvorim.

Panch member Rupesh Naik alleged that there was no proper management of labour within the Panchayat and claimed that works in wards represented by opposition Panch members were being neglected.

Several villagers further pointed out that the Panchayat’s hearse van had become old and was not functioning properly, demanding that it be repaired. Govekar stated that since the hearse van remained idle for long periods, it often developed mechanical problems.

The maintenance of Panchayat vehicles was also discussed at length, with villagers urging the Panchayat to reduce maintenance-related expenditure.