The move to bring two villages of Candolim and Calangute under the North Goa Planning and Development Authority appears to be undemocratic.
It appears even Salazar would not take such an undemocratic step when the mandate was unanimous in both the villages against the formation of PDA during the emergency gram sabha meetings called in Candolim and Calangute.
With the formation of PDA in my locality, the biggest losers will be the local panchayats where some members are allegedly fleecing the locals shamelessly while issuing the licenses for constructions of any sort from the point of one room dwellings to star hotels. The bribe charged for permission was so enormous that the bribe takers are become crorepatis by looting the innocent locals. They demand bribe as if it is their divine right and many of them are given preferential treatment by the local religious authorities thereby even lowering the sanctity of the religious places.
Throught the formation of this PDA, the brute power of some members of the local panchayats will be drastically curtailed where these members were known to act arrogant and revengeful. Revenge was their forte and most of their victims were innocent and weak persons. These revengeful and corrupt members of the panchayats forget that they are elected not to take revenge and harass the locals but to serve the locals in accordance with law. They think they are omnipotent to do any damage to the locals with the little power they are wielding.
Now when PDA is formed, I feel the same corrupt and brute policies will not be repeated by the PDA personnel. Constituents in the locality have already fired a salvo against Congress and in view of this Michael Lobo who is going to head this PDA must make this PDA a bribe free and revenge free body. Pride and arrogance should never exist in this PDA personnel and they must serve the locals well.
