Team Herald
CALANGUTE: The Anjuna-Caisua gram sabha, which was marked by poor attendance, discussed a host of issues, including the environment, grazing land, regional plan, drainages, and garbage.
Pradeep Harmalkar raised the issue of eco-imbalance due to garbage and felling of trees for construction purposes. He urged the panchayat to take measures to safeguard the interests of the village.
Gram sabha chairperson Savio Almeida stated that the panchayat was in the final stage of working out an arrangement for collection and disposal of wet waste and urged the villagers to extend support for the success of the project.
Harmalkar and Agnelo D’Souza raised an issue concerning grazing land in Vagator, but Anjuna comunidade member Camilo D’Souza claimed that there was no grazing land.
The trio had a heated discussion on the issue, which forced the chairperson to intervene and direct the comunidade to submit its reply to the panchayat, following which the local body would take a decision on the matter.
Harmalkar also raised the issue of the Regional Plan for the Anjuna-Caisua and called for a special gram sabha to discuss the same.
Michael D’Souza and Ramesh Naik questioned why the panchayat had not held a special gram sabha on the issue, to which Almeida said that only one member had made the suggestion.
When Harmalkar questioned which the panchayat had not convened ordinary gram sabhas, Almeida attributed the same to the abrupt transfer of the panchayat secretary.
Agnelo D’Souza also raised the issue of illegal demolition of a chapel and urged the local body to either restore the same or give him permission to carry out repairs. He also enquired if a party had been given permission to construct or cut trees in a disputed area in Vagator. The chairperson replied that the panchayat had not given permission for any purpose.
Incidentally, the attendance was reportedly affected due to meetings in temples to elect new committees.
