MARGAO
A host of issues, including the issue of western bypass figured at the gram sabha of the Benaulim village panchayat on Sunday.
Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Fernandes, who chaired the meeting, presented a status of the panchayat’s decision to file a petition before the High Court demanding construction of the bypass passing through the village on stilts.
The sarpanch briefed the members on the legal steps initiated by the Panchayat by engaging a legal firm and a High Court lawyer and the intervention application filed by the panchayat in the High Court.
Pointing out that the High Court lawyer engaged by the panchayat had expressed his unwillingness to take up the matter due to his personal preoccupation, the sarpanch asked the members to suggest names of lawyers ready to file the petition in the High Court.
Former sarpanch John Barretto demanded that the government put a KTC bus to run on the Margao-Benaulim route from Grace Church, Margao to Maria Hall, Benaulim.
The issue of revenue from sopo and hoardings came up for discussion at the meeting. Gram sabha member Rudolf Barretto questioned the chair over the reasons behind the drop in the sopo revenue for the panchayat body.
He also raised the issue of the hoardings erected by prominent companies, demanding to know whether the companies are paying any revenue to the panchayat body.
