CANACONA
Water, electricity and roads were the main demands raised at the first gram sabha after the general Panchayat elections on Sunday.
Members listed out not only demands but called for improvements on water supply, electricity and road infrastructure in the village of Agonda from almost all the seven wards.
Sarpanch Fatima Rodrigues informed the members that a toilet-cum-changing room block is coming up on the beach, and assured members that whatever issues and problems raised will be resolved in a phased manner in cooperation with the government. "I expect full support and cooperation of our MLA Ramesh Tawadkar to obtain for us maximum mileage," she said.
Earlier, raising a slew of demands, different members asked the newly elected panchayat to look at the neglected road network in the village. "We have a road which is not touched for the last 15 years, besides another road, where just tar in the form of cow-dung is applied," a villager said.
Concern was raised on garbage collection as a member asked to raise the frequency of garbage collection. "Only once a month panchayat engaged personnel are visiting certain areas to collect garbage, so people have no choice but to dump it anywhere or everywhere. Please increase frequency of garbage collection. Besides, some people are seen misusing the garbage site by dumping even their commercial discard outside the garbage site," a villager said.
Stating electricity fluctuations are destroying people's costly appliances, members demanded immediate underground cabling of 11 KV alignment, sufficient transformers and a dedicated Electricity Sub-office and staff at Agonda. The present one with limited staff and vehicle has a vast area to cater to, including Khola, and it takes even a fortnight to attend people's problems as the staff remains busy elsewhere.
Agonda has its own two sources of water like Deva-talem and Mudkud, besides getting treated water from Chapoli Dam, but still the village is getting muddy and dirty water and that too only for 2-3 hours on alternate days. People demanded for replacement of old and rusted pipeline and demanded setting up of PWD (water supply) office or a complaints section in the village to attend to consumers issues. "Presently, we have no option but whenever we have to complain, we had to look out for them in some restaurants and bars," complained a member.
Demands were made to put up streetlights in certain areas where no streetlights have reached and the roads remain in darkness. Demands were also made to desilt tributaries of Agonda river at Guravol and Voile-Agond, besides putting up of an additional bhandara at Voile-Agond and securing the river borders with retaining walls.
