Team Herald
MARGAO: Demanding that the government restore ‘Any Other Business’ (AOB) on the gram sabha agenda, the Chandor Cavorim gram sabha unanimously resolved against developing the railway station in the village as a coal hub.
Stating that they had no objection to the double tracking of the railway line, the villagers however strongly objected to any plans to convert the Chandor Railway Station into a coal hub as reported in a section of the media.
The sarpanch was asked to write to the South Western Railways immediately informing them about the villagers’ objection to plans to increase the number of platforms at the station to 10 in future. The villagers were unanimous in their stand that development should not be at the cost of the village and peace of the locals.
The Sarpanch as also asked to write to the sarpanch of neighbouring Guirdolim village in whose jurisdiction the railway station actually comes under.
A villager strongly protested against the dropping of ‘AOB” from the gram sabha agenda and argued that AOB gives actual liberty and voice to the rural inhabitants. She argued that by dropping AOB, the government was seeking to suppress the voice of the people, which has been increasingly growing in dissent to the state’s policies.
Even as the panchayat informed that it had started the pre-monsoon cleaning of drains, some villagers pointed out that it was not being done properly.
There was a heated discussion on the gaddas in the market square even though their license clearly states that they should move away from the market square in the night.
The panchayat was asked to cancel the trade license issued to those violating this norm and ensure that the market square is free of any gaddas at night.
The status of State Highway No 8 was discussed at length with the villagers demanding that panchayat immediately stop the work of asphalting currently underway in the village as the tender notice was not submitted to the panchayat.
Until the tender order is submitted to the panchayat the work will not go on, said a villager, arguing that the panchayat is responsible for any development work undertaken in the village and hence has to be informed on any work that is taken up.
