Team Herald
PERNEM: The Agarwada Chopdem gram sabha on Sunday witnessed heated discussions over subject of issuing licence to roadside stalls and kiosks.
Locals alleged that many outsiders are illegally running fruit and other businesses along the road within the panchayat jurisdiction.
Complaining that the kiosks located at the Chopdem circle were obstructing free movement of vehicles, the villagers demanded immediate removal of the structures lest they cause accidents there.
The villagers demanded that panchayat issue NOC only to the villagers and not to any outsider.
Responding to these allegations, the panchayat members said that the panchayat issues NOCs only to local residents, but the local themselves rent out the shops or stalls to outsiders.
The sarpanch informed that the panchayat would conduct a survey of all the stalls and kiosks and verify their NOCs. “If the stalls/kiosks found to be operating illegally, action will be taken,” the sarpanch said.
The second major issued discussed at the meeting was lack of sanitation at the areas inhibited by the migrants. In this respect, the gram sabha passed a resolution for expelling from the village those migrants who do not maintain proper sanitation.
When locals questioned whether the migrants were residing for rent and whether their premises had sanitation facilities, a gram sabha member informed that many of the migrants were residing in rented premises that lacked sanitation facilities.
On this issue, the panchayat informed that it had already directed the owners concerned to either provide their tenants with proper sanitation facilities or should not rent out the premises.
After a discussion on the issue of water scarcity, the gram sabha passed a resolution wherein the villagers would march to the Pernem PWD office demanding regular water supply to the village.
The villagers suggested that instead of repairing the existing pipeline, the PWD should construct a new one so that people could get sufficient water.
Discharge of waste water into Chapora River by a resort was also discussed at the meeting, wherein the gram sabha passed a resolution directing the panchayat write to the department concerned demanding action against the erring resort.
