VALPOI: North Goa Collector chaired a high level meeting to solve problems faced by residents of Harijan wada of Khotordem panchayat in Sattari taluka.
Collector Levinson Martin along with Additional Collector Vikas Gaunekar, Deputy Collector Pradeep Naik and Mamlatdar Dashrath Gawas held a high level meeting with the heads of the different departments to solve the problems faced by the residents of Harijan wada.
Later, they all visited Harijan wada and motivated the villagers to enroll themselves in electorate role.
The plight of the residents of Harijan wada was highlighted by a local English daily some months ago, that they lacked even the basic necessities like electricity and clean drinking water. The report also highlighted that the children study under kerosene lamps and walk eight km to attend schools.
Taking note of the news report, Governor Dr Mridula Sinha wrote to the government officials concerned expressing her concern over the plight of the people residing in Harijan wada. She also directed the collector to submit a detailed report about the living conditions of the villagers. She also questioned the collector why their plight was not considered thus far.
Following the instruction from the governor, the collector convened a meeting of all departments concerned at the conference hall of Valpoi Municipal Council on top priority.
At the meeting, the collector directed the local health officer to issue NOC for obtaining electric connection for the houses under Health Act. He also directed panchayat members to help the villagers in this respect and directed the assistant electrical engineer to provide streetlights to the residents.
As the financial condition of the Harijan wada villagers is poor, the collector directed the civil supplies inspector to issue them BPL ration cards. It was brought to the notice of the collector by the civil supply inspector that none of the houses was getting even kerosene under their ration card.
The water supply department was also directed to provide water connections in Harijan wada.
Education department have been instructed to provide Bal Rath for the students attending schools, and have also directed panchayat for NOC to build pucca road and have directed PWD roads to take up the road at the earliest. The forest department was directed to trim unwanted plants beside both sides of road and to make it clean for the easy access of Bal Rath.
CDPO officer at Valpoi has been directed the make arrangements for the transport of children attending aganwadis in other village or to shift one of its aganwadi at Harijan wada.
The collector also directed DRDA and gas agencies to issue gas cylinders to the villagers under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna.
The collector has asked the departments to file compliance report from the within 10 days.
