No doubt that corrupt government department's are involved in "blind" approvals without checking ground realities and disastrous impact on villages; but what also is become increasingly apparent is that the last line of defence for the villages i.e. the panchayats are influenced by certain panchas who are selling out their own villages. The common excuses given by these real estate brokers/specific panchas are: Village panchayats have to approve mega housing/commercial projects if TCP approves (now proved to be false by experts) and Goans are selling land. The point here is just because the land is sold does it mean mega housing projects, hotels, commercial projects affecting the village & its resources and environmental destruction be allowed? I request these specific panchas who make these excuses in order to shift blame away from themselves, to use the rules and laws in place and also apply their mind for the interests of the villagers and posterity of the village. It is high time villagers realise that the problem is with specific panchas and in many cases panchayat secretary running affairs of the panchayat and hence the villagers should act accordingly.
