Calangute: The delay in the promised legal action by the village panchayats of Calangute and Candolim against the Outline Development Plan (ODP) came in for sharp criticism at the gram sabhas on Sunday.
Former Calangute sarpanch Anthony Menezes raised the issue of the panchayat assurance to file a petition in the High Court against the ODP, based on which constructions are still being allowed. The assurance had been made in the last gram sabha, Menezes said.
The sarpanch said they were delayed because they could not locate some documents, but the petition has been filed last week.
The Calangute gram sabha then resolved to march to the office of the TCP at Mapusa on October 27 to oppose the proliferation of illegal constructions in the village. Villagers questioned as to how new mega constructions are still being allowed despite there being inadequate power and water supply to the existing dwellings.
Villagers also pointed that the minutes of the previous gram sabha have been manipulated to sideline the issues raised by them. Former panchayat member Clotildes Braganza also pointed out various discrepancies in the recorded minutes, with Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira assuring that the necessary corrections will be made after verification.
Former deputy sarpanch Sudesh Mayekar said that despite assurances in the last gram sabha three months ago, no security guards have yet been posted at the ‘black spots’ where garbage is being dumped.
Meanwhile, the gram sabha of the Candolim panchayat unanimously adopted a resolution to scrap the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for Candolim. The gram sabha was bedevilled by power failure, and with the loudspeakers and mikes non-functional, villagers complained that they were unable to follow the proceedings.
Villagers also urged the panchayat to carry out periodic maintenance of the various beautified spots in the village which are all suffering from lack of maintenance. Villagers also demanded that the panchayat take action against a well-known open-air nightspot at Sinquerim for violating sound pollution norms.
