MARGAO: Sao Jose de Areal Sarpanch Perris D’Costa who is expected to resign shortly was caught on the wrong foot on many occasions at the gram sabha as it was evident that he had not come prepared even though villagers had put in their queries in writing and kept fumbling to give the relevant replies and was seen leafing pages from the files every now and then due to which the gram sabha ended at 4:30 pm.
Even though the panchayat sought the people’s opinion on what to do with the case filed by Shaikh Shamsudin Mukhtar against it, the relevant files were not brought and the panchayat staff was sent to the panchayat office to get them.
A villager Freddy Travasso clearly pointed out how gram sabha resolutions are not implemented and though the sarpanch initially said a letter regarding the quarries was sent to the Curtorim Comunidade later admitted that it was not sent but he was “under the impression that it was sent”.
Freddy also pointed out that he was not invited for inspections of the scrap yards even though he had complained and later on again pointed out that he was not informed about the inspection at Ramnagiri even though he had complained about it.
“You selectively invite people for inspections and I am deliberately not even informed when there is an inspection on matters that I have complained,” he said adding that he rejected the inspection reports as he did not know what was inspected.
The Sarpanch was caught on the wrong foot when he confessed that the panchayat does not take violations of law by local Goans very seriously as there was a demand to revoke construction license issued without proper documents be revoked.
It was also demanded that a survey be undertaken of people carrying out business at one place while the license issued is to conduct the business at another place and that the license be revoked of those doing this.
However, the sarpanch said it would not be fair to take action against locals doing this and some of the panchayat members supported him. Finally it was decided that the construction license issued for residential house will not be revoked but the ones given to start commercial activity like a carpentry workshop and tea shop be revoked.
The Sarpanch also admitted that it was mistake by the panchayat to issue a license to Zaki Saudagar who had submitted wrong plan for his construction license. He faced a lot of flak from the villagers for stating that the panchayat body would decide about some matters and that the Gram Sabha resolution was not final.
He admitted that somebody had sold a public road as a part of a plot that was not legally subdivided and further admitted that the permission was sought to construct a house in one place but was constructed elsewhere.
The sarpanch was also pulled up for allowing burying of drains to take in machinery which drains have not been cleaned even though six months have passed and asked him to get it cleaned within a week.
The villagers pointed out that because the gram sabha was superior the BDO had asked for a gram sabha resolution to appoint a temporary clerk and peon as a mere resolution of the panchayat body was not acceptable.
