Team Herald
MARGAO: Loliem-Polem sarpanch Sunday debarred a discussion on the proposed IIT at Bhagwati Moll, despite the gram sabha members expressing keen desire for the same.
The gram sabha was attended by around 100 villagers.
The meeting was chaired by Sarpanch Bhushan Prabhugaonkar, who first confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting. Thereafter, he stated that since neither the IIT proposal nor any communications or correspondence on the same had been received by the panchayat, he would not allow the subject to be discussed.
The gram sabha members pointed out that the villagers had submitted a representation with 1050 signatures requesting that the proposal be dropped, as, they feared, the IIT would change the use and tenure of Bhagwati Moll.
They further pointed out that a letter had also been submitted to the panchayat requesting it to include the issue in the agenda for the gram sabha meeting.
It was also pointed out that as per Rule 10 of the gram sabha rules, the issue should be included in the agenda by the chairperson.
The sarpanch refused to listen to the gram sabha members and closed the meeting abruptly after replying that he would hold a special gram sabha to discuss the issue upon receiving the proposal from the government.
The agitated gram sabha members took a resolution after the meeting was concluded by the chairperson, that the Bhagwati Moll, survey no 63/1, be conserved for agriculture, forestry and grazing only, since any non-agricultural use of the land will spell doom for the village by destroying the water, food and environmental security of the panchayat area.
They also resolved that the Comunidade of Loliem-Polem and the Director of Technical Education, Government of Goa, be informed by the panchayat that the proposed permanent campus for the IIT at Goa cannot be accommodated at the Bhagwati Moll, for environmental, economic and social reasons.
