Uproar at Aquem meeting over licence issued to mega project

MARGAO

The gram sabha of Aquem Baixo Panchayat turned stormy on Sunday over the question of construction licence issued to a 40-apartment  housing project.

Indeed, gram sabha member and former Sarpanch Sidhesh Bhagat tore the reply given to him by the panchayat on the construction licence. Gram sabha members demanded that the panchayat immediately revoke the construction licence and place the matter at the gram sabha meeting.

Gram Sabha also unanimously passed a resolution opposing the installation of Smart Meters by the Electricity department. The resolution was proposed by Sidesh Bhagat and supported by all the villagers and the Panchayat Body too.

At the gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Milind Salunke, former Sarpanch Siddesh Bhagat confronted the Panchayat on the question of a construction licence issued to a mega housing project. He demanded to know how the Panchayat has approved the construction licence without placing the file before the gram sabha as per a gram sabha resolutoin.

Not satisfied over the answers given by the Panchayat secretary, Bhagat tore the letter he had received from the Panchayat on the construction licence.

He later told the media that the gram sabha members later demanded that the panchayat immediately revoke the construction licence issued for the housing project. 

Meanwhile, gram sabha members  opposed the Goa Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS). Joseph L R Vaz of Navelim Civic & Consumer Forum explained about the flaws of the scheme and that it will be a huge burden on the consumers who are already suffering with the rise in costs of all essential things. Goan shops, wine stores and supermarkets in our village will suffer, since consumers will not buy from them as this scheme will be implemented only in Goa and not for online stores.

He said the gram sabha passed a resolution demanding that the Goa Government must not implement the Goa Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) from 1st October 2026 and the DRS notification of 2024 in the Goa Gazette must be scrapped.

He said the Village Panchayat must not install the DRS Collection Point Machine (Reverse Vending Machine) in the Panchayat premises.