Team Herald
MARGAO: Illegalities dominated the Sao Jose de Areal gram sabha on Sunday as illegal constructions, roads and partitions were discussed heatedly and the Sarpanch Perris D’Costa was forced to accede to the people’s demand for having a special meeting on July 11 to discuss some of the matters.
The sarpanch initially refused to revoke the construction licence issued by the panchayat and asked the villagers to appeal to the higher authorities if they felt his decision was wrong. He also argued that nobody had come with proof that the plot in question was demarcated as an open space within the stipulated time.
However, the villagers pointed out that the party had shown the officials a different plot during site inspection and asserted that the panchayat had given a construction licence to a plot that had no access. They also pointed out that the Water Resources Department has acquired some land in the area and asked the panchayat to study the matter thoroughly.
The sarpanch did admit that there were a number of illegal partitions done in the area and the villagers were on their feet how a licence could be given to a plot that was illegally partitioned. The villagers referred to earlier documents of the panchayat and pointed out that the construction license was issued to a plot that was actually demarcated as an open space.
The Sarpanch finally acceded to their demand and called the villagers for a meeting on 11th July at 10:30 am in the panchayat office.
The sarpanch admitted that there are quite a number of illegally constructed road in the village but had no answer when asked why a police complaint or a complaint to any other authority was not made by the panchayat.
POLLUTION: Pollution in the village through the various crushers and Goa Carbon Limited was also discussed quite animatedly at the gram sabha. One villager complimented the sarpanch for keeping the pollution under control at his crusher but lamented that the same was not situation at other crushers.
The sarpanch said he would meet the crusher owners association and get the other crushers to adhere to all the required procedures to keep pollution under control.
His explanation that the Goa State Pollution Control Board had not given the readings of the pollution tests undertaken at Goa Carbon Limited was rejected by the people who pointed out that the readings were available with the Human Rights Commission from where they had got it under RTI.
RAILWAYS: The villagers vehemently objected to the double tracking of the South Western Railway track and also the construction of a loop connecting the South Western Railway to the Konkan Railway Corporation line.
In fact, the reason for constructing a road near the over bridge was also questioned raising doubts whether it was to be an access to a new railway station that is proposed.
However, the sarpanch clarified that there is no new railway station proposed in the village.
