PONDA: The Bethora gram sabha has passed a resolution to control the migrant population in the village by imposing certain conditions for settling down in the village.
This is significant in the light of the stand taken by the State and Central governments that no special status can be given to Goa.
Bethora villagers are worried that the increasing migrant population would outnumber the natives and that the village would lose its Goan identity.
The condition proposed by the gram sabha is that migrant who want to construct houses in panchayat area will have to compulsorily buy a plot of at least 250 square metres; they will be allowed to build ground plus one floor. Migrants having land below 250 square metres would not be allowed to construct houses.
While passing the resolution, the gram sabha observed that due to growing number of industries, the village is facing growing number of migrant settlement; stress on water and power supply and scarcity of land for the natives.
The gram sabha further observed that migrants have constructed a number of rooms in a small plot of land and often pick up quarrel with the natives.
However, original landowners and natives will be allowed to construct houses if the area is at least 100 square metres and above.
In same resolution prohibited destruction of environment and hill cutting for development plots.
The meeting was chaired Sarpanch Poonam Samanth.
Meanwhile, the gram sabha and the panchayat have decided to issue notice to UB Group for extending its unit without NOC from the panchayat. This violation was brought to the notice of the gram sabha by some villagers.
Another resolution was passed for sending notice the group officials directing their presence in the panchayat office on April 5 at 10.30 pm for answering questions why the company has not been employing locals in its unit.
The locals also raised the issue of increasing menace of scrap yards in panchayat. The locals also complained that some gutters have not been cleaned and streetlights out of order.
A final resolution was passed requesting RTO and police to take action against the speeding vehicles to and from scrap yards on main road.
