At the gram sabha on Sunday, Fr Orville de Silva from Betul made a presentation on the discrepancies in the approved RP and the RP prepared by the people. It is pertinent to note that Fr Orville had helped the people to draft the Plan in 2009. In view of the discrepancies, the gram sabha unanimously resolved to oppose the RP21 and called for the government to implement the plan prepared by the people.
The villagers also decided that a planning committee (PC) should be appointed at the village level and people’s suggestions must be given to the committee and not the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department. They further resolved that the final plan be notified in consultation with the PC.
The gram sabha then discussed the Defexpo/Aero show to be held at Quitol and unanimously resolved to oppose the allotment of land to the Defence Ministry for the project. It may be recalled that the panchas as well as the Orixtt Porjecho Avaz conveyed their opposition to the project recently.
The gram sabha members were also opposed to the government’s decision to host the Defexpo even temporarily as they saw it as a strategy to allow the project through the backdoor. They also resolved to intensify their agitation if the Defexpo is not scrapped in the winter Assembly session.
