Cops intervene as tempers flare up at Sancoale gram sabha

VASCO: The Sancoale gram sabha on Sunday witnessed heated discussions on various issues forcing the Verna police to intervene and halt the meeting for few minutes to maintain law and order.

The gram sabha was held at the newly built cyclone shelter at Zuarinagar despite objections raised by three panchayat members and Cortalim MLA Anton Vas writing to the Mormugao BDO objecting to the shifting of the venue.

The gramsabha mainly discussed garbage menace, sopo collection and the issue of difference between managing committee members over the access to the Yellamma Devi temple, among others.

After the meeting, Sancoale Deputy Sarpanch Girish Pillai expressed his concern over the rising communal tension in the village and said that the village panchayat was trying its best to resolve the issue with the land owners.

The gram sabha also discussed the issue of sopo collection raised by former sarpanch Premanand Naik, who suggested that the panchayat start collecting sopo so as to generate additional revenue. Pillai said that since Naik is experienced and had raised this issue in the last gram sabha too, it was decided that he should head the committee and do good for the village by starting sopo collection. 

The gram sabha discussed door-to-door garbage collection matter raised by a villager Ram Gopal Yadav. This issue is also aimed at generating revenue and it will now be discussed at the next panchayat meeting, he said.

Pillai further said that the panchayat has issued stop work notice to a contractor for recklessly digging 15 metres deep and causing nuisance to nearby residents.