MARGAO: The extraordinary gram sabha held at Cana Benaulim on Sunday adopted 10 resolutions aimed at controlling and managing the activities of migrants in the village while condemning Nilesh Prabhudessai for boycotting the gram sabha asked the panchayat to ensure that the resolutions are implemented at least by the end of the current year.
Responding to villager Rudolph Barreto’s query the Sarpanch Ezlina Fernandes said the gram sabha was convened following the due procedure and said Nilesh’s contention that the resolution would not be binding was baseless.
Various villagers spoke on the problems caused by migrants and also the lamanis and many even cautioned that the manner in which they harass tourists at the beach it would not be surprising if tourists stop visiting Goa in future. The gram sabha had 400 villagers who signed the register including 10 of the 11 panchayat members. However, many villagers did not sign and there were some people from other villages also present.
Villager Jose Fernandes who has taken up the issue and conducted various corner meetings besides pointing out that while Kashmiris return to their State after the season is over, lamanis remain in Goa only and are causing a demographic change in the village.
While pointing out that the taxi driver Vassu had threatened to kill him he said Vassu had kept four other persons ready to ply taxis in the village if his taxi was permitted. “They now want to take over all our business including bakery and taxi,” he said
Seby Fernandes another villager while terming the migrants as anti social elements said they peddle drugs, indulge in prostitution under the guise of massage and sell goods like T-shirts at exorbitant rates and also alleged the migrants of spoiling Goa’s name.
He said the migrants while begging with the foreign tourists tell them that the panchayat and all officials collect bribes from them and hence they have a tough life to live.
Raymond Fernandes, Roque Fernandes, Royson Cunha and Rudolph were other villagers who spoke about the ill effects of migrants and despite repeated pleas for somebody who depends upon the migrants to speak nobody expect one person spoke.
Senior citizen Luis Barreto said being a senior citizen and unemployed he survives on the income he gets from renting his premises to migrants. However, other villagers pointed out that his children are working overseas and they should provide for his maintenance.
Geraldine Fernandes pointed out that all have migrants working for them and said it would be difficult to replace them if they are driven out of the village and suggested that the panchayat should get a copy of the stranger form submitted to the police by the landlord who keeps a migrant on rental basis in his house.
Former Sarpanch Royla Fernandes suggested that the panchayat carry on a study of the carrying capacity of the village to see how many migrants can they house and lamented that the panchayat had not done anything that was recommended by the Village Development Committee about the migrants one year back.
Ex-MLA Caitu Silva asked the panchayat to collect one month’s rent from all those who have given their premises on rent and there was a slight stir as one villager Jose accused Caitu of releasing youngsters who were caught robbing.
The ten resolutions adopted by the gram sabha were to check the uncontrolled migration in the village, illegal activities of migrants be probed and migrants having criminal records be externed from the village, no subletting of any license or permission given by the panchayat, the taxi driver Vassu be thrown out of the village, hawking on the beach be banned and the panchayat should study the carrying capacity of the village.
