Coming out strongly against rampant tourism illegalities and encroachment on the beach, which is a scheduled turtle nesting site, the members present demanded that action should be taken against the beachside shacks for putting up tables, chairs, sun beds and umbrellas on the beach.
“How are horses allowed to ride on the beach? Is the panchayat not aware or doesn’t want to keep an eye on the beach? Stop the practice of putting tables, chairs, sun beds and horse rides on the beach. Take on the erring tourism operators,” a member demanded.
Earlier, Panchayat Secretary Damodar Kankonkar in the presence of Sarpanch Navneeta Naik Gaunkar informed the gathering that the panchayat earned more than Rs 6 lakh towards granting tourism-related NOCs.
Residents also demanded that PWD (water supply) should be asked for an explanation for repeated failures in streamlining water supply and denying water to several residential localities. “An overhead tank built a decade ago by spending lakhs of public money is still unutilized,” said a member.
When the sarpanch informed that her efforts to resolve the water woes are unproductive, even after meeting PWD (water supply) AE and JE, Panch and former sarpanch Pramod Phaldessai said JE and AE are not the final authorities in the PWD. “Sarpanch should approach higher authorities for their continuous failures in addressing the issue,” he said.
Members forced the panchayat members to adopt a resolution asking the panchayat to write to PWD (water supply) to depute its engineer to remain present at the next gram sabha.
The members further said unscrupulous roadside dumping of garbage is earning a bad name for the village, as several shack operators dump waste filled in plastic bags on roadsides. “Appoint people to keep an eye on those involved in such acts, and if any seasonal tourism operator is found involved in the act, revoke their licences,” a member urged.
Encroachment on land marked for existing panchayat building also came up for discussion. Out of 2600 sq mtrs of comunidade land earmarked for the panchcyat building, some 200 sq mtrs are found short. Members demanded that a survey be conducted.
The panchcyat secretary said that the concerned authorities have given their nods and the much awaited construction of a bridge at the existing foot bridge linking northern-end of Agonda beach will be processed by the PWD.
Incidentally, the attendance of elected members has improved with only the deputy sarpanch staying away from the gram sabha; however, only about a dozen people attended the meeting, which was postponed a fortnight ago for want
of quorum.
