caption: Tulshidas Prabhu and Sunanda Naik along with panch members.
THE GOAN NETWORK
PONDA
Tulshidas Prabhu and Sunanda Naik were on Wednesday elected unopposed as Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of Ganje-Usgao panchayat respectively. Both the posts were lying vacant since August 12. Hence, an administrator was appointed to run the panchayat's affairs.
It may be recalled that six panch members had moved a no confidence motion against former Sarpanch Williams Mascarenhas on July 29, and on the very next day he had resigned from the post. This was accepted by the Director of Panchayats. Secondly, Deputy Sarpanch, Deepali Gaad, was unseated from the post on August 12, in a special meeting held to discuss the no confidence motion moved against her. Since then, both the posts were lying vacant.
On Wednesday, only seven members out of eleven were present for a special meeting called to elect both the posts. Raghunath Gawade, Ramnath Dangui, Tulshidas Prabhu, Sunanda Naik, Williams Mascarenhas, Tushar Balve and Devanand Nanoskar were present for the meeting, while Bindiya Naik, Vijay Gaonkar, Harshada Gawade and Deepali Gaad remained absent.
Speaking to 'The Goan', newly-elected Sarpanch Tulshidas Prabhu said that since the last two years the panchayat had not received funds from the government, and thus developmental works were remained pending.
“My priority is to get funds from the government, amounting to almost one crore rupees. We haven't received the octroi amount as well. Once we get that I will try my level best to ensure development,” Prabhu said.
“Apart from funds, there is a demand from locals whose houses are to be regularised. We will take an opinion from the BDO and Director of Panchayats in this regard,” Prabhu said.
He also said that the panchayat is losing revenue as these houses are not regularised, and hence no house tax is being generated.
