MARGAO: The Sao Jose de Areal gram sabha besides discussing the dust pollution caused by Goa Carbon Limited also had a heated discussion on the change of name of the village in official records with some demanding correction while some seeking to know what happens to the records with the wrong name.
Villager Freddy Travasso pointed out that though the name of the village is Sao Jose de Areal as per the panchayat letterhead, it is printed as St Jose de Areal in birth certificates issued to people. Even as the Sarpanch Vinney Mascarenhas pointed out that people with those certificates have taken foreign nationality and settled in the West, Freddy demanded that the mistake be corrected.
However, some villagers demanded to know what happens to their records where the name is already mentioned as St Jose de Areal while Freddy promised to get records showing that the name was earlier written as Sao Jose de Areal.
Besides, Freddy also pointed out that the name of the village is wrongly written at the railway station in the village where it is written as “Sanjuja da Areyal” and the sarpanch said he had already taken up this matter with the railways to change the name.
Incidentally the gram sabha was attended by 43 villages including 8 of the 11 panchayat members.
Alcina Fernandes raised the issue of dust pollution caused by Goa Carbon Ltd which led to agitated discussions with the sarpanch lamenting that the villagers were seeking to bypass the panchayat most often but trying to blaming the panchayat when it suits them.
He said the panchayat was not informed about the inspection of the factory ordered by the Human Rights Commission and said panchayat members went for the inspection only because of the announcement made in the church.
“If the parish priest could be informed about the inspection why was the panchayat not informed,” he asked and was supported by the panchayat members. However, he said officials of Goa State Pollution Control Board will be coming shortly to install the machinery to control the dust pollution.
Earlier half an hour was dedicated to reading and conforming the minutes as Freddy Travasso pointed out various mistakes in the minutes. The villagers vehemently objected to the panchayat body changing the gram sabha minutes and pointed out the minutes are to record what transpired at the gram sabha and not what the panchayat wants recorded.
Even as the Secretary explained that it was not possible to record the minutes as the meeting was going on since the minute book is kept for taking villagers attendance, it was decided that from the next gram sabha onwards, minutes will be recorded as the meeting is going on.
The gram sabha also constituted the Village Health and Sanitation Committee, Vigilance and Monitoring Committee, Village Water Sanitation Committee, Village Child Committee and added one villager to the Biodiversity Management Committee as one member of that committee had died.
Villager Tenny Fernandes asked the panchayat to write to the government to set up a mechanism like the Traffic Sentinel wherein a team will come with necessary equipment to test if plastic is being burnt with garbage following any complaint made to the agency.
He also suggested that all drains in the village be covered with slabs as the open drains are abused to dump garbage and even burn it in the drain itself.
