VASCO: Amidst high voltage drama and chaos, the Cortalim gram sabha members on Sunday resolved to oppose the proposed nationalisation of rivers in Goa. Few other crucial issues were also debated during the gram sabha that witnessed noisy scenes. 

On behalf of Goa Against Coal (GAC), fishermen leader Olencio Simoes and his supporters attended the gram sabha to press the meeting pass resolution against coal transportation and river nationalisation. 

However, since Simoes is not a gram sabha member, Cortalim Sarpanch Senia Pereira and Deputy Sarpanch Raymond Desa refused to grant him permission to speak during the gram sabha meeting. However, he was allowed to witness the proceeding.

Finally, when the issue pertaining to the nationalisation of rivers came up for discussion, Sarpanch Pereira again raised her objection and claimed that some members who are not the villagers have been trying to instigate and influence gram sabha members and are even trying to illegally intervene into the gram sabha proceedings. 

To this, one Ryan Gomes (husband of panch member Edociana Rodrigues) came forward and allegedly abused the Sarpanch Pereira and even tried to disrupt the gram sabha proceedings. Anticipating law and order problems, Pereira immediately summoned Verna police to bring the situation under control.

Later, the gram sabha members started with the discussion on river nationalisation and the gram sabha members resolved to oppose the nationalisation of rivers in Goa. However, before the gram sabha members could move on to commence discussion on a second important issue, namely, stopping coal transportation in Goa, meeting was called off abruptly over noisy scene.   

Earlier, the gram sabha constituted Village Biodiversity Management Committee. It was also resolved to remove members who are non-resident Indians but are part of Village Development Committee (VDC) after informing authorities concerned. It was also decided to include some new members in VDC and especially from ward number 5 and 8 as earlier no one from these wards were part of VDC constituted for the village.