Nine years back, Byron Xavier, a resident of Uddo-Quelossim first lit a fire with the demand for a separate Panchayat for Quelossim which would bifurcate the existing Cortalim- Quelossim Panchayat in Mormugao Taluka. At that time, the state administration first asked the block development officer and also the local Panchayat body asking for their views. As the demand was genuine and was fitting in all rules and regulations, the then congress government started the process to fulfil the demand.
From 2006 to 2010, the process slowed down and as a result, the issues were taken up in the Gram Sabha. This was followed by over six resolutions which have been taken to date supporting the demand for a separate Panchayat for Quelossim. Atleast 80 percent of the residents of the village belong to the ST community.
Finally, just before the Congress could issue a notification, it was replaced by BJP and as a result, the demand of the villagers kept pending.
“During my tenure as the MLA of Cortalim constituency, we completed the process to give a Panchayat identity to Quelossim. We acknowledged the genuine demands of the villagers but I am surprised that their demand is still pending,” said Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho. Like Godinho, there are other state leaders who share similar views on the issue. The voice of the people is heard by the leaders when the elections come knocking at the door but after the elections, the same leaders pay no heed to the plight of the residents of the South Goa village.
“We have seen over seven elections since the time the villages pressed for the need of a separate Panchayat for Quelossim and every election, the leaders just make fools out of us with assurances to fulfil our demand but then nothing happened. Nine years have passed and I don’t know why our government is making us cry,” said Costancio Tawaris, a resident of Cortalim.
According to Cortalim- Quelossim Panchayat records, the Gram Sabha members have taken over six resolutions supported by the whole village. All of these resolutions were forwarded to the government as well but the papers moved from table to table and finally then Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar put a note reading ‘The proposal is not acceptable’.
“Surprisingly the officers under the congress rule had no objection to the demand and the same officers under BJP changed their stance and rejected the proposal disappointing over 3000 villagers who are anxious to see a new Panchayat,” said Anthony Vaz, Zilla Panchayat member from Cortalim and leader of the the ST community from Quelossim.
The issue of a separate Panchayat is mainly because the villagers want to preserve the identity of Quelossim but it is more important because they are deprived of rightful development. “There are over 79 industries (details up to 2001) that fall under the village and hence it can be declared as an independent revenue village fulfilling all the conditions for formation of a separate village Panchayat. Parameters like population, number of voters, total number of houses (over 1100 houses), income and industrial grants etc are necessary for a self-sustaining village. But in terms of development, Quelossim is slightly backward in comparison with Cortalim,” Sarpanch Hilario Figueiredo noted.
He now calls for the attention of the state administration. He says he visits the concerned Panchayat Minister’s office once in four days and is doing this because the area of both the villages is too much and becomes very difficult for the Panchayat to carry out development in twin villagers at one time.
“We get limited schemes from the government and as per government policy; one scheme is for one village. Thus, Quelossim remained undeveloped as most of the schemes had to be given to Cortalim as it is the more centrally located of the two villages. If the government gives Panchayat status to Quelossim, then we can ensure that the new Panchayat would get a new health centre, a new police outpost, post office, a ground, a school, an electricity department office etc and people from Quelossim then would not have to come five kilometres away to get their work done in Cortalim,” said Figuereido.
The issues are many but the solution is one. Whether Quelossim gets its identity, only time will tell. People of Cortalim continued to remain disappointed as they have been for the past nine years and also because they don’t know how much longer they will have to wait
