MARGAO: The Macasana village panchayat has issued a detailed response to the objections raised to the proposed construction of a commercial complex on government land, which presently houses a old primary school building.
Sarpanch Agnelo Costa and other panchas of the ruling panel emphasized that the project is required, as it would make the village self-sufficient.
They pointed out that Macasana is a small village, which lacks basic amenities and facilities for the villagers such as a sub-health centre, pharmacy, vegetable and fish markets, among others, and are
dependent on neighbouring villages like Chandor and Curtorim.
Furthermore, they produced documents that showed that the panchayat body, during the tenure of the former Sarpanch, had passed a resolution at its monthly meeting dated August 23, 2021, to use the Swayampurna Bharat grants provided by the State government to construct the Macasana complex. This resolution was to house all the aforementioned amenities in one building on government land belonging to the Education Department, having three old, deteriorated school rooms.
This proposal was subsequently approved by the village gram sabha held on May 22, 2022, via resolution no. 3.
Thereafter, they showed how this matter was followed up at the panchayat body meeting held on September 24, 2022. A decision was also taken to send the proposal to the Education Department to obtain an NOC for the project. Incidentally, the project retains the classrooms.
The Sarpanch also showed correspondence from the Education Department to the Diocesan Society of Education wherein the vacant building of the government primary school was allowed to be used for the functioning of the Primary School of St Xavier’s High School for the period till the completion of the repairs/extension works of the primary school of St Xavier’s High School.
The Sarpanch questioned why the school can’t be shifted back to its original premises as he claimed the school building repair works were complete.
He further pointed out that in addition to the old school building of St Xavier’s School, a new extension building project was approved by the Conservation Committee as well as Town and Country Planning Department (TCP) in January 2022 but that till date, the construction of the proposed extension of the school building had not started.
Finally, the Sarpanch referred to a written suggestion from the villagers dated March 8, 2023, asking the panchayat to write to the RTO to remove two trucks that are being parked on the said government land near the school. The Sarpanch added that this issue had been raised at the gram sabha.
Responding to queries raised at the gram sabha about the complex from those opposing the project, he said he had answered all the questions and requested that proof of any lease agreement with the government for the primary school be shown amongst other things.
The panchayat body is holding its meeting on Thursday, where they will discuss this matter further.