Colva gram sabha adjourned for want of male panchas

MARGAO, AUG 8
In an unprecedented development, members of the Colva gram sabha forced adjournment of the meeting scheduled on Sunday in protest against the absence of male panch members for the meet.
When the gram sabha was called to order by Sarpanch Angela Borges, agitated gram sabha members demanded to know why five panch members were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting.
Members were shocked to know that the panch member was absent when they had come with proposal concerning their respective wards.
Angry gram sabha members sought to know from the BDO observer whether the Sarpanch can go ahead with the meeting in the absence of the five panch members. They also questioned the Panchayat secretary over the issue and lamented that the secretary could not answer their queries satisfactorily.
After much discussion and with the members demanding an adjournment, the Sarpanch was left with no option than to adjourn the meeting.
Sarpanch Angela Borges told newsmen that the meeting was adjourned after members complained about the absence of the male panch members. Borges said she is unaware why the panch members stayed away from today’s meeting.
Gram Sabha member and social activists Judith Almeida demanded action against the panch members for failing to turn up for the gram Sabha meeting. “Today’s meeting was scheduled to discuss crucial issues affecting the village. We were all shocked to know that the five panchas stayed away from the meet”, she said.
Meanwhile, Panch member Anthony (Mama) Fernandes told Herald that he did not attend today’s meeting since the views of the Panchas were not taken into account at the meeting of the Panchayat held on Saturday. “When we discussed proposals at the Panchayat meeting on the gram Sabha, the Sapranch did not record our points”, he said.
Sarpanch, Borges, however, refuted the allegations as baseless.