MAPUSA
The Siolim-Marna villagers on Sunday’s gram sabha demanded inspection of the market area and action against those involved in illegal business in the village.
The locals also urged the panchayat not to issue permission to migrants to conduct business.
“There is a need to carry out an inspection of all the shops in the market to find out who is conducting illegal business without licences. We have noticed several shop owners offer banned plastic carry bags to consumers,” said Uddesh Pangam, a resident of the village.
Another local, Joaquim Barros also pointed out that several people were carrying out businesses from their homes and suggested that the panchayat should find out whether they had trade licences.
Siolim-Marna Sarpanch Abhay Shirodkar informed the gram sabha members that letters have been issued to shop owners requesting them to keep their licences ready as the panchayat would be conducting an inspection.
Pangam also requested the panchayat not to issue no objection certificates (NOCs) to migrants to do business in the village.
“We need to save our village for posterity. Our Goans must be given an opportunity to do any business. I understand the panchayat has to follow the law and if a migrant has all documents in place he has to be issued a licence. But the panchayat should use all their power to avoid business slipping into the hands of the outsiders,” Pangam opined.
He also said that a lot of people were involved in illegal activities in the village.
“People build rooms as residential houses and let it out on rent doing commercial business. We need to carry out an inspection of such units,” he said.
The sarpanch said most of the owners who give shops on rent to migrants are Goans.
“Our Goans should avoid giving properties to migrants. We cannot stop issuing licenses if the documentation is in order,” Shirodkar said.
Another resident, Gregory D’Souza stressed the need to improve the door-to-door garbage collection system in the village while also urging the panchayat to carry out awareness on the subsidy offered by the government on installation of solar panels as an alternate source of energy.
Barros also raised the issue of the sudden transfer of former panchayat secretary Smitha Parab who was efficient and doing a good job.
“The panchayat and a group of villagers need to go and meet the Director of Panchayat to question the sudden transfer of the secretary,” he said.
A local Amrut Agarwadekar expressed his anguish at blatant destruction of forest cover in Vaddy Siolim and requested the panchayat to stop the large-scale cutting of trees in the village.
He also highlighted the encroachments carried out by some people on public roads.
