Velus is an urban area, but can actually be termed a village, and among the most backward at that in Valpoi constituency. Velus, comes under the Valpoi Municipal Council and has two wards, but for the past three decades, the area has remained undeveloped, leading to demands from residents that it be made into a panchayat.
“For several years there has been no development work carried out in our village. It is one of the most backward, remote, and the largest in Valpoi constituency. And there is no scope for our village in Valpoi Municipal Council. We demand that it be made a village panchayat,” said Madu Gaonkar, of Velus.
He, perhaps, is not wrong on development. Velus is located just three kms from Valpoi town centre and is larger than other village in the constituency. Despite this, all political parties have neglected it keeping development at bay and also failing to provide employment to the village youth, claim villagers.
The population is over 3000 and the voters number 1,500, and a huge unemployed population who are educated, having done ITI courses and some even post graduation. While they try to get employment, the opportunities are few and the number of unemployed youth in Velus increases every year.
“For 50 years, I am living in a grass hut, which will collapse at any movement. Now I have become old and I don’t have that much of energy, where I can work and build a new house. All political parties have neglected our village. For several decades they have failed to provide employment opportunities for our village youth,” said Thako Mote, a resident of Velus.
Locals from ward number one, of Velus are living a life like tribals. Many of them live in mud houses, which are old and in pitiable conditions. Villagers lack basic facilities at home, like toilets and bathrooms. They still prefer to answer natures call in open places in village. Besides this, there are no proper roads and streets lights in this ward.
Earlier, this village was part of the Nagargao Panchayat, and later, after 1980 it was added to the Valpoi Municipal council. It being in a municipality there are no schemes for poor rural people, and they aren’t able to benefit from housing schemes and other National rural schemes which residents of panchayats can avail of.
“There is not a single Central Government scheme for this area in the municipal council. The National schemes are for rural India and their benefits are for panchayats. We have been requesting the government to make our village a panchayat,” says Amresh Gaonkar a resident.
The residents also do not get good cooperation from the administration when they visit the Valpoi Municipal council for birth certificates, NOCs for house, water and electricity connections and others certificates. Villagers complain that the staff at the council keeps calling them repeatedly to collect the certificates or NOCs. There are complaints that birth certificates have been received after one or two months and NOCs after six months, that too after several trips to the Valpoi Municipal Council office.
“We all villagers are below the poverty line and now we want to be a part of a village panchayat again or our village made into a panchayat, this is our demand to the government,” say villagers.
“In our village almost 30 percent of the houses are of mud and older ones are in bad condition. Many of our villagers are working on daily wages. Whatever they earn is spent on for and for the children’s education. At the end of the day nothing remains. Villagers are not earning enough to build a new house,” said a resident of Velus.
