MARGAO
A group of Sao Jose de Areal villagers on Thursday called on the Areal Sarpanch to find out the status of the Closed Circuit TV Surveillance Cameras installed at the Panchayat Ghar against the backdrop of the recent desecration of the religious objects.
To their surprise, the villagers realised that the CCTV cameras installed at the Panchayat Ghar with donation from a person, haven’t yet been commissioned till date. Reason. Sarpanch Minguel Gomes told the villagers that the CCTV cameras have not been commissioned after some villagers had raised queries whether the panchayat had adopted a resolution and obtained approval from the authorities and accept the CCTV cameras from a private party.
While the sarpanch further maintained that the panchayat has now moved a proposal to the Salcete Block Development Officer seeking approval to install the CCTV cameras out of the Panchayat funds, the villagers led by Freddy Travasso demanded to know how much more time will the panchayat require to get the details and to make the CCTV project a reality.
Freddy contended that apart from the desecration incident, which would have been captured on the CCTV, the surveillance cameras are a must at the Panchayat Ghar since it plays host to many an important document of the villagers.
He pointed out that the Areal Panchayat Ghar has no CCTV cover even though the gram sabha had over a decade ago in 2010 given the go-ahead signal to the panchayat to bring it under the CCTV scanner.
Sarpanch Minguel informed that the panchayat had mooted the CCTV proposal to the Salcete BDO for approval, adding that since the CCTV cost is beyond the powers of the BDO, the proposal has now gone to the Director of Panchayats for approval. “The panchayat will install the CCTV cameras at the panchayat no sooner the Panchayat Director gives his nod,” Minguel added.
