MAPUSA: The stormy and lengthy Assagao Gram Sabha on Sunday unanimously opposed moves for zone change in the village.
The proposals put forward by members Gregory Sequeira and Michael Queiroz were clubbed together and unanimously passed by the gram sabha. The ordinary Assagao gram sabha which met on Sunday initially witnessed uproarious scenes.
Sarpanch Hanumant Naik took a strong objection to so called activists and urged them to play a positive role in the welfare of the village.
Former panch Einstein Barretto demanded to know what action has been taken from the minutes of the last gram sabha forcing the sarpanch to give a detailed explanation.
The gram sabha witnessed uproarious scenes over the issue of mobile towers and an illegal bore well in ward 2 with members demanding to know what action the panchayat is contemplating.
Sarpanch assured that within the next one week, he would take stern action and even if necessary seal the well as the party has defied the stop work order.
Kedar Kamat suggested a zone only for erection of mobile towers and Dheeraj going a step further and stating that it should be a NDZ so future development activities do not take place.
Barretto urged the panchayat to tighten the noose on the mega projects and commercial establishments as a lot of unlawful activities were taking place there and alleged that the panchayat and police were mute spectators. Gram sabha members also castigated the police for lack of patrolling due to which cases of theft were on the rise in Assagao.
However the climax was the proposals put forward by Sequeira and Queiroz rejecting all govt moves for change of zone in the village panchayat area.
Villagers felt that no minister or TCP had any right to sit in their office and use the pen and do change of zones without consulting the locals and this was a democracy where locals and voters played a major role in developmental activities and added that they don’t want a repeat of Pernem in Assagao.
Also another landmark resolution taken was to freeze all constructions with immediate effect in Assagao as they were contributing to traffic chaos and a sense of insecurity for the villagers.
