Team Herald 

MARGAO: The Betalbatim gram sabha was on Sunday cancelled as the villagers objected to terming the last gram sabha as “adjourned”. 

The gram sabha, which will now be held on June 30, will approve the budget besides responding to people’s suggestions and proposals.

At the debate, former minister Mickky Pacheco asserted that the gram sabha on April 28 was not adjourned as recorded by the panchayat but was cancelled as due to the Code of Conduct in force and due to which people’s suggestions could not be discussed.

As for an adjourned gram sabha fresh suggestions and proposals from the villagers cannot be taken up for discussion and only the agenda of the previous meeting has to be transacted. However Betalbatim villagers including Mickky had some fresh questions which were rejected by the panchayat.

Mickky criticised the panchayat for not informing the people, but came to know about the meeting during an announcement made in the church on Sunday.

There was pandemonium all around with villagers insisting that the April 28 gram sabha was cancelled and not adjourned and Mickky demanded to know who had proposed and seconded the resolution to adjourn the meeting.

The panchayat argued that due to lack of quorum, the gram sabha was adjourned and there was debate on the validity of having the gram sabha and hence it was recorded that the gram sabha was adjourned.

As per the law, the gram sabha is first adjourned for 15 minutes, if there is no quorum and then adjourned once again for 30 minutes if the quorum is not formed. However, after the second adjournment if there is no quorum then whoever is present forms the quorum.

The villagers argued that the decision to cancel the gram sabha was taken after the second adjournment and hence the gram sabha had convened and was not adjourned. They asked the sarpanch to take up the fresh suggestions and go ahead with the gram sabha.

Sarpanch Constancio Miranda said he would not be able to take up the new suggestions and agreed to cancel the gram sabha and convene another gram sabha where the old as well as new suggestions would be taken up for discussion.

The villagers accused the secretary of misguiding the panchayat and advised the panchas to work in the interest of the village. 

The villagers who participated in the discussion were Samson Cota, Jason Rebello, Jose Pereira, Menino Cota and Seby Fernandes.

Incidentally, all panchas and the villagers participated in the hour-long gram sabha. Mickky proposed to cancel the gram sabha, which was seconded by Seby Fernandes.