MARGAO
A storm is brewing along the Benaulim countryside over what locals call the government’s plans to hand over the car park facility close to Benaulim beach to private players.
After the issue dominated the recent gram sabha meetings, the Panchayat has now called for an extraordinary gram sabha to discuss proposals from the Goa Tourism Development Corporation regarding land in Benaulim.
Officiating Sarpanch Glyda Rodrigues has convened the extraordinary gram sabha at the village Panchayat hall on December 5 at 4.30 pm. The issue had figured prominently at the Sunday gram sabha when gram sabha member Rudolf Barretto drew the attention of the Chair to the GTDC proposals on land bearing survey numbers close to the beach, including the car parking facility. He had cautioned the gram sabha that locals, including fishermen and those eking out a living from tourism activity, would become strangers in their own village if the car parking facilities and other lands were handed over to private players.
Social activist Roque Fernandes has urged the people of Benaulim to attend the gram sabha on Thursday to stop the government from giving away their land to private players.
Like many villagers, Roque has raised apprehensions that the car park facility at Benaulim beach will not be available to the locals unless they pay for parking their vehicles. “The entire area, which was acquired from us for peanuts, is now being handed over to private players just to fill the pockets of a few,” he asserted.
While making a call to the people to attend the extraordinary gram sabha meeting on December 5 at 4:30 pm at the Benaulim Panchayat hall to voice their opposition to the privatisation of the beaches, Roque said, “If we allow this part of the land to be in the hands of private players, soon we will be without access to our own beaches. Let's be there to make our voice heard.”
