MARGAO
A storm is brewing across the Salcete countryside over the government’s proposal to declare 10 villages as urban areas, with several village panchayats preparing to formally oppose the move.
The Village Panchayat of Varca has already registered its official objection, urging the Directorate of Panchayats and the Revenue Department to permanently drop the proposal and retain Varca’s rural status.
Chinchinim Sarpanch Gerson Gomes said the panchayat had opposed a similar proposal in 2020 and would forward the earlier resolution to the Director of Panchayats. He added that the issue would be taken up at the forthcoming panchayat body meeting, while plans are also underway to convene an extraordinary gram sabha to discuss the proposal.
Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira said the panchayat is yet to receive any communication from the Salcete Block Development Office (BDO), but acknowledged that Benaulim figures among the villages included in the 2020 notification proposing urban status. “We will discuss the issue at the coming gram sabha meeting,” he added.
Nuvem Sarpanch Freda D’Sa said the panchayat has recently received a memorandum from the Salcete BDO regarding the proposal. She said a special body meeting would be convened to reject the move. “The Nuvem gram sabha had already adopted a resolution rejecting the Naksha survey. If the Naksha survey itself was rejected, how has the government proceeded with this proposal without ascertaining the actual facts of the village, including its population?” D’Sa questioned.
She added that once the panchayat formally rejects the proposal, the resolution will be forwarded to the BDO.
Newly elected Curtorim Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues said he would verify with the panchayat secretary whether any communication had been received from the Salcete BDO. “If we have received the proposal, I will immediately place it before the panchayat body and convene a special gram sabha to discuss the matter,” Rodrigues said.
Davolim Sarpanch Menino Colaco said the panchayat had earlier rejected both the Naksha urban survey and any proposal to merge the village with the neighbouring Margao Municipal Council.
“I will check with the secretary whether any communication has been received from the BDO. If so, I will convene a panchayat meeting followed by a gram sabha to take a decision,” Colaco said.
With opposition mounting across Salcete, village panchayats appear united in their resolve to resist the government’s proposal, maintaining that their villages should continue to retain their rural character.
