MARGAO
In a bid to check overcharging, the Varca gram sabha on Sunday resolved to fix daily wages at Rs 800 for men and Rs 600 for women employed by villagers. The resolution, unanimously approved, will be forwarded to the Labour Department.
Sarpanch Flavia Barretto said the move followed complaints that daily wage workers were overcharging villagers for agricultural and other work.
The gram sabha also discussed sewage discharge by hotels, casinos, garbage collection and disposal, non-functioning street lights and construction licences for multi-dwelling units.
Sewage disposal
Members questioned the panchayat over hotels discharging sewage into the open. Barretto said the panchayat would soon inspect the erring hotels and issue show-cause notices.
No more casinos
Members opposed any more casinos in the village, citing the nuisance caused by casinos operating in North Goa. A resort already operates a casino in the village.
Multi-dwelling projects
Members demanded a halt to construction licences for multi-dwelling units, citing the lack of a wet waste treatment mechanism.
Member Sohail Furtado said the panchayat should stop granting such licences until a waste treatment system is in place. He also opposed keeping projects in abeyance, saying this could allow builders to obtain approvals from the Block Development Officer.
Wet waste issue
Barretto admitted that the panchayat was facing difficulties in treating wet waste. She said the panchayat had proposed sending the waste to the Cacora waste management plant, but the Goa Waste Management Corporation rejected the proposal as the plant had reached saturation point.
She said the panchayat was now looking for land in the village to set up an MRF shed for wet waste treatment.
