VALPOI: Shel Melauli locals opposing the IIT project on Thursday once again staged a protest chanting slogans against the Guleli Panchayat and gheraoed sarpanch Apurva Chari for not submitting the letter as per their demands. They even threw empty water bottles at the sarpanch while she was on her way home.
According to villagers, they submitted a letter to the panchayat two days ago that it should give them in writing on the panchayat letterhead that the locals of Shel Melauli have strongly opposed the IIT project in village and that the project be shifted to another place in the State.
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The villagers on Thursday gathered in large numbers near the panchayat to collect the letter. However, they claimed that the panchayat gave them a letter not as per their demands, which led to the protest.
“We held a meeting to discuss the villagers draft letter. As per law we cannot give them the draft letter on the panchayat letterhead. We submitted a letter to them stating that we cannot fulfil their demands, as it does not come under the Panchayat Raj Act. We will forward the villagers’ draft letter to the higher authorities,” said sarpanch Apurva Chari.
“Today, we were called by the panchayat to collect the letter. We came to know that the panchayat has not taken any stand on our letter. The panchayat just attached a covering letter to our draft letter and submitted to us. Under sections 60 and 62 of the panchayat Raj Act they should have acted. But failed to do so,” alleged Shubham Shivolkar, a villager.
Meanwhile, the members of Revolutionary Goans visited in Shel Melauli to support the villagers.
Valpoi Police arrested three members of Revolutionary Goans namely Manoj Parab, Viresh Borkar and Alex D’Souza along with some villagers for unlawful assembly and for violating Section 144.
