PONDA: Borim Sarpanch Domingo Vaz and panchayat members told media that while reporting on the Sunday gram sabha, the media highlighted only the views of the people. The stand of the panchayat body or sarpanch was not highlighted.
He said the decision to hike taxes was proposed in the earlier gram sabha.
Vaz assured the villagers to reconsider the locals’ demand made at the gram sabha to reduce the hike in house and commercial taxes in six month’s time. Sarpanch informed that there was notification from the government to hike taxes to generate revenue for the panchayat.
Accordingly, the panchayat has proposed hike and as it met opposition at the gram sabha where locals asked to reconsider it, claiming they could not afford the hike. In case any house owners pay extra money after the revision of taxes the extra amount would be refunded to them.
Vaz also said that Borim Panchayat had no idea about the ISKCON project. Only NOC is given for construction of proposed road at Betki as per instructions of higher authorities.
The gram sabah at Borim strongly opposed the hike in house tax. The claim of locals was it is hiked 400 times and was exorbitant. Similarly, locals has opposed the mega project including ISKCON’s project in Borim, which is aimed at providing shelter to wild animals and further would destroy hills in Borim, which are source of recharging springs, wells at hill slopes.
