OLD GOA
The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has announced it is withdrawing its support to the Azossim-Mandur panchayat over the approval of occupancy certificates for a project in Azossim.
Speaking to reporters in Panaji on Sunday, MLA Viresh Borkar said that Azossim-Mandur sarpanch Prashant Naik did not inform him about the file for occupancy certificates, even though they had been in contact about development work in the village.
“I came to know of the same through a report in a local newspaper after which I summoned the sarpanch and informed him of withdrawal of the support as RGP opposes mega projects in any form,” Borkar said. He also added that he had opposed this particular project before.
RGP chief Manoj Parab said the party will not tolerate such decisions by the Azossim-Mandur sarpanch, who granted the occupancy certificates without consulting party leaders.
“We cannot allow panchas or sarpanchas who are backed by RGP to unilaterally take decisions pertaining to mega projects, which the party has always been opposing,” Parab said. He repeated that RGP is withdrawing support to the Azossim-Mandur panchayat because of this issue.
“The MLA is residing in the neighbouring village and the least the sarpanch could have done was to consult him when the file for occupancy certificates was received by the panchayat,” Parab added.
Will a no-confidence motion be moved against sarpanch Naik?
OLD GOA: Although RGP has withdrawn support to Azossim-Mandur panchayat, it is still unclear whether a no-confidence motion will be moved against sarpanch Prashant Naik.
Naik is not a member of RGP, but the three panchas supporting him, including deputy sarpanch Tejaswi Naik, are backed by RGP. It remains to be seen if these RGP-backed panchas will move a no-confidence motion against the sarpanch.
Sources within the panchayat told The Goan that the occupancy certificates were issued a year ago, in May 2024. Since then, the issue has come up several times in gram sabhas, with AAP leader Prof Ramrao Wagh raising concerns.
Interestingly, in these gram sabhas, only two opposition panchas, Francisco Po and Paulina Po, have strongly opposed the project. They have repeatedly said they were never part of the resolution to issue the occupancy certificates.
