Want every outsider to be registered
TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Blaming the unregulated flood of outsiders as the major cause of criminal and anti-social activities in the village, Betalbatim villagers on Wednesday asked the Panchayat body to immediately begin registration of each and every outsider ~ whether locals or foreigners ~staying in houses, outhouses or other properties.
The meeting cast responsibility on the landlords for completing the stranger forms accompanied by an affidavit vouching for the tenant’s crime-free record and assuming responsibility for the good conduct of the tenants.
This was resolved at a public meeting convened by the Parish Social Action Forum and Betalbatim Civic and Consumer Forum in the aftermath of the brutal attack on a young local girl by a migrant labourer and also suggested measures to tackle the menace of criminal intimidation and attacks on villagers by the migrants.
The meeting resolved that Panchayat ward members accompanied by the Sarpanch, deputy sarpanch and members of BCCF, PSAF and Parish Pastoral Council will visit the houses of landlords and tenants and explain any difficulty.
The meeting further resolved to urge the district police chief, the DG, police and the Home Minister to instruct the local police to grant NOCs for keeping tenants only after verifying from their roster of known and suspected criminals and resume the practices of regular beat patrolling in Betalbatim with immediate effect, besides increasing the strength of Colva police station to service the vast area under its command.
The meeting also resolved to urge all villagers, especially parents to be vigilant and take care of their children, especially young girls and boys and congratulated local MLA Mickky Pacheco, for being instrumental in rescuing the young girl, from a fate similar to what befell the Delhi and Vasco girls and apprehending the culprit.
In his address, Betalbatim Parish Priest, Fr Ubaldo Da Cunha said the attack on the girl only shows that criminal elements are staying in the village. “We cannot allow such elements. Such elements should have no place in the village. We have to do the follow up and show something.
Otherwise, we will be lost in our own land. This might happen to some other family”, he said, while calling upon the villagers to maintain vigil over migrant gangs moving around the village. Complimenting the local MLA for standing by the police, Fr Ubaldo lamented that Mickky is now being targetted by Tara Kerkar.
Village Sarpanch Esperance Fernandes told the gathering that outsiders have outnumbered the local population in Gonsua and outlined the steps taken by the Panchayat body to keep a track of migrants and tenants staying in the village.
In his address, Roque Fernandes said the labour contractors should take their workers back home after their working hours instead of housing them in the village, while Hilarino Cota suggested that migrant bachelors should not be allowed place in the village.
