PONDA: The Borim gram sabha was chaired by Sarpanch Satish Naik on Sunday. The main issue that dominated the meeting was the exorbitant hike in house taxes, with locals demanding the withdrawal of the increased rates.
Local resident Rahul Naik stated that people earning low salaries would not be able to afford the exorbitant house tax, demanding that the rates be lowered. Utkarsh Prabudesai added that the Director of Panchayats cannot dictate terms in a democracy. He alleged that the Secretary had not properly documented the gram sabha proceedings regarding the villagers’ resolution against the house tax hike.
When asked about these allegations, Sarpanch Satish Naik responded that every gram sabha is recorded on video, and the panchayat would check the recordings.
Meanwhile, the Secretary told villagers that they could file individual objections to the Director of Panchayat about the house tax hike. However, the villagers were unhappy with this suggestion, insisting that the gram sabha had taken a clear resolution and that there should be no dictatorship.
Sudesh Borkar pointed out that while the panchayat collects dry waste, there is a dire need to set up wet garbage treatment facilities to keep the village clean. For this, there is a need for a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) shed. The locals urged the panchayat to request the Comunidade to spare a plot for the MRF shed.
It was also resolved to set up a power substation in Borim, as residents are currently facing hardships due to frequent power outages, said Sudesh Borkar. The locals opposed the power department’s additional charges for public lighting included in the monthly bills and demanded that these charges be scrapped, stating that the government should bear the cost.
Additionally, the locals emphasised that biodiversity areas and heritage sites should be identified and protected from unplanned development. They also discussed the issue of stagnant water near the school, requesting immediate action to clear it.
Discuss Borim bridge alignment with CM, highway officials, locals urge P’yat
The locals also demanded that the panchayat should hold discussions or meetings with the Chief Minister and National Highway authorities regarding the new Borim bridge alignment. They passed a resolution demanding that, as per the Chief Minister of Goa’s statement, no house should be demolished for the new Borim bridge and bypass widening.