MARGAO: The absence of four panchayat members dominated the Carmona Gram Sabha on Sunday with some villagers questioning the validity of the gram sabha and the villagers refused to constitute the Village Development Committee (VDC) as mentioned in the agenda. A former Sarpanch got physical and pushed another villager as he was addressing the chair.
Secretary Mario Viegas explained that the gram sabha was convened following the due procedure including a notice published in the newspapers on August 5 and asserted that nobody would have any right to challenge the decisions taken at the gram sabha.
It may be recalled that the VDC constituted earlier was challenged by one of the panchayat members on grounds the mandated time period for notice of special gram sabha was not adhered to and the appeal was dismissed after the panchayat assured that the VDC would be reconstituted.
However, some villagers pointed out that the member who had challenged the constitution of the earlier VDC was not present for the gram sabha and wondered whether the new VDC constitution would also be challenged as there were only three of the seven panchayat members present for the gram sabha.
The villagers accepting that the panchayat had been reduced to a minority as it had only three panchayat members functioning decided not to constitute the VDC.
Socorro Miranda’s question whether the panchayat body had discussed the assurance given by the panchayat in the matter led to some heated discussion with a former sarpanch getting physical and pushing Sucorro away from the microphone that resulted in many villagers shouting at her to behave herself.
Sucorro had pointed out that the lady’s husband was the Sarpanch when it was decided to reconstitute the village development committee and said he could prove this based on documents obtained under the Right to Information Act.
Following heated discussions, the panchayat agreed to undertake the work of preparing the panchayat ground for the locals to use and assured that it would be done before the Diwali vacations commence. The villagers also demanded that the road side bushes be cleared immediately and the work be undertaken using panchayat funds.
The gram sabha decided to keep the ambulance received under the MPLAD funds near the panchayat premises and approach the local MLA to see if the government could provide two drivers and one nurse for the panchayat.
While the ambulance service would be free for people of Carmona anybody else from the neighbouring villages using it would be charged. The suggestion to use the ambulance for neighboring villages was shot down as the villagers pointed out that Carmona taxis are not permitted to operate in Cavelossim.
The nationalization of River Sal was objected to and people were warned that Betul port would emerge as a coal hub in the near future. The amendment to the CRZ notification and the introduction of TDR in the Town and Country Planning Act were also objected to with the latter termed as a mean to loot Goan land.
The panchayat agreed to undertake a survey of all poles erected in road widening area and get them removed at the cost of the party that had erected them after villagers pointed out some poles including one near the panchayat ghar being erected.
