the goan I network
OLD GOA
It may be recalled that The Goan had reported that the meeting was likely to be a truncated affair with the panchayat listing only two points on the agenda - to read and confirm proceedings of previous meeting and any other subject with permission of chairperson.
However, all proposals received from the public were allowed to be discussed by Sarpanch
Mariano Araujo who even went ahead and announced a slew of development works that he has planned for the village.
With a large number of people attending the meeting, the issue of Bondvoll lake yet again took centrestage with the public questioning the panchayat why there is a delay in acting on resolutions adopted at a special gram sabha on the issue.
The panchayat authorities were also taken to task for issuing notice for disconnection of electricity while not issuing demolition notice to structures built by the tenant. "Both the demolition notice and electricity disconnection notice should have been served simultaneously," said a villager.
Sarpanch Araujo, however, said since the new panchayat has taken charge only two months back, they cannot be held responsible for it.
"But, I promise that I will take stringent action to save the Bondvoll lake," he added.
The issue of NOCs by health department to projects in low-lying areas was also discussed with villagers demanding that the panchayat should write to the health authorities not to issue NOCs in low-lying areas, till the time that a dedicated sewerage pipeline is not laid in the village. The villagers also condemned the absence of secretary Hanumant Borkar for the gram sabha for the second time in a row, due to which Curca secretary Rajendra Gawas is given the additional charge.
With only Rs 15 lakh in coffers, p'yat
directed to pay Rs 45 lakh to contractor
OLD GOA: Even as the Santa Cruz Panchayat is starving for funds, it has received a jolt from the blue as a court has directed it to pay Rs 45 lakh to a contractor whose payments were kept on hold without citing any reason.
Revealing this at the gram sabha on Sunday, Sarpanch Mariano Araujo informed that the said contractor had bagged contract for a work of Rs 22 lakh during the tenure of 2007-2012, which he had duly completed.
"But, his payments were not made by the then panchayat, due to which the contractor took legal action and now, a court has directed the panchayat to pay Rs 45 lakh," Araujo added while stating that he is now in consultation with local MLA Tony Fernandes on how best to resolve the issue.
"The panchayat has only Rs 15 lakh in its kitty," he further stated while opining that the current panchayat has to pay for the sins of the predecessors.
