MARGAO: Amidst resolutions to scrap the regional plan, oppose the coconut tree declassification, and recover land from the SAG, the Colva gram sabha, on Sunday, praised a member’s proposal to construct a health centre for the village. The Colva circuit development plan also featured in the discussions.
At the gram sabha, Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves read out Alexandre Fernandes’ proposal for a health centre and extended the panchayat’s support to him.
Alexandre, who is the ex-president of the Goan diaspora association ‘Colva United Centre, Kuwait’, had moved a proposal under the state NRI commission scheme ‘Mhozo Gaum Mhojem Goem, for the construction of a health centre. Through this scheme, funding for the project is shared by the association and the State government. Gonsalves added that the panchayat had already granted an NOC for the project.
Speaking at the gram sabha, Alexandre stated that 600 square meters of land had already been identified by the Tourism Department and that the project would be constructed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). A unanimous resolution was passed for the early implementation of the health centre.
The gram sabha members also expressed dissent that the budget had not been placed before the gram sabha for approval after Gonsalves stated that the budget had been approved at a panchayat meeting.
On the regional plan, Gonsalves stated that the panchayat had already written to the TCP with copies of the 2011 resolution and plan drawings of the four villagers under the Colva panchayat’s jurisdiction; the panchayat had also asked that the same suggestions be incorporated without changes.
Expressing concern that the proposed road widening would affect the village church, a villager feared that a flyover over could also come up near the church. Following this, the villagers unanimously resolved to call for scrapping of the regional plan.
Activist Judith Almeida also moved a resolution against the regional plan and Investment Promotion Board Act.
Rene Mesquita referred to a recent public meeting in Colva and spoke about how the Margao-Colva road and Betalbatim-Colva road are shown as 25 meters in the regional plan and how the width of many roads in the villages are as wide as 15-20 meters. He exhorted the villagers to rise against the Regional Plan given the consequences for the village.
Rene also criticised the government’s recent decision to classify the coconut tree as ‘grass’ an sarcastically questioned what would the politicians do now for inaugurations that require a coconut. He explained that the government’s decision would favour the builder lobby, which can now cut as many trees as it wants.
Regarding the land owned by the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG), Almeida questioned the sarpanch why the gram sabha was not informed that the panchayat had granted an NOC for a sewage treatment plant, which will occupy a large portion of the land.
The gram sabha unanimously passed a resolution to demand that the SAG return the remaining area to the village given that it was not taking the villagers into confidence and the land originally belonged to the people of Colva.
Finally, there was as a discussion on the proposed Colva Circuit Development Plan of the Tourism Department. Almeida asked the panchayat to inform the gram sabhas about its decisions. She explained that she had objected only to the illegal tower that was part of the circuit plan and not the entire plan.
The sarpanch, speaking to the press later, stated that the panchayat had already granted a construction license for the plan and that the tower was no longer part of the plan.
