PANJIM: Strongly opposing the state government’s proposal to complete the IT Park at Chimbel in next two years, the gram sabha on Sunday resolved to urge Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to shift the project out of the village. 

Raising serious concerns about the illegal mobile tower installed by M/s Reliance Jio in the village without obtaining permission from the panchayat, the gram sabha decided to recover all revenue losses from the telecom company with substantial fine for installing the same illegally. 

Attended by over 400 villagers, the gram sabha which lasted for more than four hours witnessed heated discussions with Sarpanch Sobhan Borkar and Deputy Sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar facing the wrath of the villagers. 

The meeting raised concerns and displeasure on Chief Minister’s statement in the Budget to go ahead with the IT park project despite opposition from the villagers. 

“Villagers have resolved to protect this land for the welfare of Chimbel at any cost. Although this IT project is good, Chief Minister should think of moving it somewhere else but not in Chimbel as the project will in no way benefit the locals who are Schedule Tribes,” Chimbel manch vice president Gurudas Shirodkar said in a press statement. 

The gram sabha alleged that earlier it was Congress government who wanted to grab the land in the name of health city project and now it is the BJP government who wants to have IT project at the cost of villagers. 

The gram sabha members castigated the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch for failing to take action against M/s Reliance Jio who had laid communication cable and installed the mobile tower illegally throughout the village, which has incurred heavy revenue loss to the panchayat. “It was also resolved at the gram sabha to recover all revenue losses from the company with substantial fine for laying the same illegally that is without obtaining NOC from panchayat,” Shirodkar said. 

The Chimbel manch has decided to file a petition against panchayat for failing to act despite bringing to its notice the issue seven months ago. 

During the meeting, it was brought to the notice of the members and villagers that the deputy sarpanch without consulting the villagers and the local Regional Plan committee for Chimbel approved RP 21 plan for the village, resulting into haphazard development and encroachments. 

The members also slammed the panchayat for failing to place the Budget with total expenditure, revenue and future plans and development.