MARGAO, JULY 19
Illegal scrap yards and mega housing project took the centre stage of the gram sabha meeting of Sao Jose de Areal village on Sunday.
The villagers have strongly protested against the mega housing projects and scrap yards operating in their village. At the gram Sabha meeting held on Sunday, agitated members called on the Panchayat to immediately act on the directions of the South Goa Collector to remove all illegal scrap yards from the area.
The Gram Sabha, which was chaired by newly-elected Sarpanch Liberata Travaso, saw some heated arguments amongst the members and the body members over a host of issues.
Since the Sarpanch was not in a position to reply on several queries, the meeting was adjourned to next Sunday.
Later, speaking to Herald Sao Jose De Areal Sarpanch Liberata Travaso said that the Panchayat would soon initiate action against the Scrap yards and all necessary action like identifying a new site was being taken in regards to the same.
Travasso admitted that since she was elected to the post of Sarpanch only recently, she could not reply to some questions, but expressed confidence that she would try to answer the queries at the next meeting.
Travasso, however, made it very clear that the ruling body fully supports the demand made by the villagers to initiate action against illegal scrap yards.
Gram Sabha Member Peter Viegas said that the Areal Panchayat was not expediting the work to shut down scrap yards from the area and was yet to identify a new place for the same even after the Collector had issued orders long back.
Saying that the villagers will not rest till the panchayat removes the illegal scrapyards from the villages, Viegas said the previous body headed by Sarpanch Martha Cardozo had taken a number to steps against scrap yards, and hoped the new body would act against the nuisance.
