TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Bedlam and uproar marked the gram sabha of Aquem Baixo gram sabha on Sunday, prompting the police to intervene and restore order over the contentious issue of repair/reconstruction of some houses belonging to the Scheduled Tribes Community.
Though the issue dominated the meeting, no solution emerged till the end, with Sarpanch Sharon Quadros promising that the matter would be discussed at the meeting.
The issue figured midway through the meeting when the request for repair/ reconstruction of some houses at Funslabhat came up for discussion. While Sarpanch Quadros and some members spoke about the bad condition of the houses, they pointed out that the dwellers have made a request to the panchayat to consider granting them permission for reconstruction in the existing area since there’s no place available to leave the setback.
The proposal, however, came in for stiff position from a group of gram sabha members, who contended that the panchayat would be flooded with similar requests if the request for repair-reconstruction is granted. Some of the gram sabha members felt that the panchayat should examine the legal status of the houses.
As the meeting plunged into bedlam, a police team waiting outside the hall was called inside to restore order as the frayed tempers and heated exchanges threatened law and order.
Sarpanch Quadros later told the media that the inhabitants of the houses had asked for permission to repair the houses. She declined to comment on the legality of the houses, promising to examine the record before answering the question.
