MARGAO
Majorda village witnessed an uproar on Monday as agitated villager objected to a Jio tower coming up in the property belonging to Zilla Panchayat member Nelly Rodrigues, demanding an immediate stop in the ongoing work.
While the Jio representative had to face a volley of questions from the angry villagers, who insisted that they don’t want the tower in the residential locality, Majorda Sarpanch Agnelo said the panchayat has already sent a stop work order to the company, pointing out that the company has not submitted any documents from the authorities to the village panchayat.
Nelly later told the media that she has leased out her property to Jio not for money, but in the interest of the people, since Majorda had problems concerning internet and signals. “This is just a political issue. The company is in the process of obtaining the documents. I have studied the Jio technology, which is approved by the World Health Organisation. Even cancer specialists such as Dr Shekhar Salkar was consulted before I decided to lease out my property to Jio,” Nelly said, while charging certain people for misguiding the people by spreading false rumours that the tower will cause cancer.
Residents, who came in large numbers for the site inspection fixed by the panchayat, however, has vowed not to allow the tower to take shape in the village.
A resident Sally Rodrigues demanded to know how the previous panchayat had issued the NOC on March 1, 2017 within eight days when a gram sabha resolution adopted in 2016 had decided against any more towers in residential areas. “The panchayat should not allow any towers in residential areas. They should be ready to face the anger of the people if they do not pay heed to the objections,” she said.
Village Sarpanch Agnelo told the media that the panchayat has already issued the stop work order to Jio and fixed today’s site inspection. “The company has not submitted any details to the panchayat body. Making applications to various authorities does not mean permissions are received from the authorities,” Agnelo reminded a woman Jio officer, as she insisted that the tower at Majorda has been proposed in the interest of the people, an argument which had no takers amongst the residents.
