Team Herald
MARGAO: Betalbatim Panchayat on Tuesday inaugurated a fair price shop managed by it in the village to mark the first anniversary since the new panchayat took its oath of office last year. The shop was inaugurated by local MLA Wilfred D’Sa.
Sarpanch Constancio Miranda said the panchayat decided to run the shop to provide good service to the people as otherwise villagers had to either go to Majorda or Nuvem to collect their rations from the fair price shop.
He expressed gratitude to Joe Diniz owner of the premises where the shop will run for offering it at nominal rent to the panchayat and disclosed that the two staff members were selected primarily because they offered to work at the shop to offer service to the people.
Director of Panchayats Ajit Panchwadkar who had earlier worked as a panchayat secretary at Betalbatim assured the gathering that he would do any work of the panchayat within 48 hours of it being brought to his notice.
Parish Priest Pascoal Afonso blessed the premises after it was inaugurated and prayed that the shop truly becomes a window of good service to the people and prayed that the Lord bless all those present and particularly those who worked to get the shop commissioned.
ZP member Nelly Rodrigues recalling that as a Jaycee she used to believe that service to humanity is the best work of life and said she was confident that the fair price shop would be of service to the people of Betalbatim.
MLA Wilfred D’Sa in his short address stressed the need for people to be united and said that if they all remain together there was nothing that they could not achieve.
