Mapusa
In a gram sabha meeting held on Sunday, villagers of Siolim-Sodiem strongly opposed the proposed widening of the major district road, demanding that the existing road width be maintained.
The villagers raised concerns over the planned 25-metre width and urged panchayat members to go door-to-door to collect signatures from all residents to oppose the proposal.
The villagers also urged the panchayat to take proactive steps to safeguard the green and forest cover in the village, emphasising the need to protect the environment amidst ongoing development projects.
A local resident suggested that the panchayat should approach builders involved in ongoing village projects for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
He proposed using these funds to provide free education for girls and to support other welfare initiatives within the community.
He also highlighted plans to undertake desilting work on barren fields that had not been cultivated due to leakages in the Tillari canal.
Concerns were also raised regarding the Tillari project, with the resident noting that several resolutions had been passed about inspecting the canal for illegal activities in its command area.
Despite these resolutions, there has been little progress, and farmers have yet to receive compensation.
Another pressing issue raised during the meeting was the increasing monkey menace in the village. Villagers urged the panchayat to take measures to address this problem.
They also called for better water harvesting initiatives to tackle the ongoing water issues in the area.
As the meeting continued, the panchayat passed the annual budget for the upcoming financial year. Villagers requested that the panchayat ensure the delivery of high-quality work in various upcoming projects.
Sarpanch Deepa Pednekar addressed the issue of mixed garbage disposal, stating that the panchayat had been warned that fines would be imposed if unsegregated waste was received.
“We request all villagers to cooperate and hand over segregated waste. If any defaulter is found, a fine of Rs 2,000 will be imposed on us,” Pednekar said, urging residents to follow waste segregation guidelines.
