Team Herald

MARGAO: Raia gram sabha on Sunday while resolving that a statue of Dr Jack de Sequeira should be erected in the Assembly Complex also discussed at length the Village Development Plan (VDP) and projects to be recommended under it will be discussed afresh at the next gram sabha.

The gram sabha on Sunday discussed the VDP for nearly an hour as Raia panchayat was the only one in Salcete to prepare this plan and the voluminous plan in the form of a thick book was approved at a gram sabha held last year.

The panchayat has been sanctioned around Rs 30 lakh to take up works under the 14th Finance commission as the VDP was approved by the gram sabha. However, the 17 projects proposed by the panchayat under the plan were rejected by the BDO on grounds that they were not approved by the gram sabha.

It was revealed at the gram sabha on Sunday that instead of proposing the projects already approved by the gram sabha, the panchayat body had proposed some new projects albeit in each of the 11 wards to be undertaken under the 14th Finance commission.

The gram sabha unanimously resolved that a statue of Dr Jack de Sequeira who spearheaded the opinion poll movement because of which today Goa has remained a separate State, should be erected in the Assembly Complex.

The villagers spoke eloquently about the work done by Dr Sequeira and pointed out that if not for him, Goa would probably be only a district in Maharashtra and as Goa would not have had its own assembly, it was befitting that Dr Sequeira’s statue be erected in the Assembly Complex which is there because Goa is a separate State.

The gram sabha also resolved to revise the trade tax which revision would reflect in the budget as and when it is presented. It was pointed out that while people are paying Rs 3,600 annually as sopo, traders are paying only Rs 500 to Rs 1000 per annum as trade tax.

The villagers also resolved to ask the Directorate of Art and Culture to support and promote khell tiatrs during the carnival season so that this ancient art form of Goa is preserved and sustained.

Other resolutions taken were to fence the farming lands and also to get rid of the two scrap yards in the village.