MARGAO
An extra-ordinary gram sabha of Colva Panchayat on Sunday rejected the construction of a mobile tower coming up in ward No 4, with members demanding the shifting of the tower to an alternate location away from the densely populated locality.
The gram sabha members asked the Panchayat body to move the High Court against the tower builders if the work on the project does not stop immediately.
At the extraordinary gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Johnson Coelho, specifically convened to discuss the contentious issue of the mobile tower, the members in one voice demanded rejection of construction of tower from the existing site. Members pointed out that the tower can be shifted to a new site away from densely populated area. Ward panch Domingo Rodrigues sounded critical of the fact that the authorities provided police protection for resumption of work without checking the ground reality.
The members demanded that the panchayat provide them with the documents, including the stop work notice issued by the panchayat to the cellular company authorities to stop the work.
Sarpanch Johnson Coelho told the media after the meeting that since the gram sabha members have urged the panchayat body to move the High Court with a petition, the panchayat will seek legal opinion before taking a call.
The sarpanch pointed out that the members firmly opposed the tower coming up in the residential locality and have urged the body to initiate legal action. “We will take a decision at the body meeting before seeking legal opinion”, he added.
Ward member Domingo Rodrigues said the gram sabha members have urged the panchayat body to impress upon the company to shift the site to a different location. He wondered how the authorities can take a stand that the panchayat has no power in the matter since the PWD has given single window clearance for the project.
