the goan I network
MARGAO
The Sao Jose De Areal Village Gram Sabha on Sunday has told the panchayat body to lodge a FIR against all the illegal plot developers on an orchard land for earmarking plots without the approval of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department and other concerned departments.
The meeting chaired by Sarpanch Perry Da Costa also saw the members questioning the Panchayat body for the inordinate delay in razing down the illegal scrapyards when all decks were cleared by the authorities for their demolition. Gram sabha member Freddy Travasso raised the question of the illegal plots which were developed by some unscrupulous developers on orchard land by flouting all norms, including conversions and TCP norms.
Demanding to know from the Sarpanch the steps initiated by the Panchayat body against the illegal developers, Freddy insisted that the Panchayat lodge a FIR against the illegal developers. Sarpanch Perry, however, insisted that the Panchayat has already lodged complaints with the TCP and other authorities.
Agitated Panchayat members confronted the Sapranch over the inordinate delay in razing down the illegal scrap yards. They pointed out that the Panchayat had received the demolishing order of the scrapyards from the Deputy Director in the month of February 2018 but till date no action has been initiated as the Panchayat has not sent the request for the demolishing Squad. As the members claimed that this is intentionally done to save the nine scrapyards, the Sarpanch explained that the panchayat has now forwarded the letter to the authorities for demolition of the yards at the earliest.
Power outages and other issues concerning the electricity department came up for discussion, with agitated members demanding that the Panchayat lodge a FIR against the executive engineer of the Power department for various failures, including erection of electric poles in the village without work orders.
Members also accused the Sarpanch for taking a resolution in the Panchayat Body Meeting to protect the stone crushers on the plea that no TCP and other approvals are required to install crushers in the Communidade land. They claimed the Panchayat has taken the resolution alleging that the Sarpanch is also operating crushers in the Communidade land.
The Gram Sabha members demanded that if the crushers are exempted from ambit of the TCP and others rules in force, than the houses also be exempted, with the Gram Sabha members resolved to declare the body resolution null and void as it is against the Panchayat Raj Act. Gram sabha member Tenny Paul Fernandes also raised a point that the cash timings in panchayat office should be accepted up to 3.30 pm.
Regarding the point on Carbon factory by Felix Pereira, it was decided to have a joint inspection on urgent basis along with the Goa State Pollution Control Board officials.
