PONDA: Playing a game of musical chairs and also political instability in the 11-member team, the development in the Curti-Khandepar Village Panchayat has suffered development has say locals.
With both the sarpanch and deputy voted out in a no-confidence motion on Friday, the Curti-Khandepar PV will soon have its eighth sarpanch ever since the panchayat elections were held in 2017.
Locals say frequent changes in the post of sarpanch prevents a follow-up on development works. So far seven panchas have occupied the post of the sarpanch with one holding the post twice since 2017.
After the panchayat body was formed Rukma Khandeparkar became the first sarpanch, followed by Santan Fernandes, Dadi Naik, Shailesh Shet and Shravani Gaude. Gurudas Khedekar, who was voted out on Friday, was occupying the post for the second time.
Due to this change many works have been kept pending, specially the completion of the approach road/ramp of the new Khandepar Bridge.
Rocky Dias, a local, said the separation of the panchayat into two offices, one at Curti and another at Khandepar, with each office open only on three days in a week, may have also contributed to the slow progress in development works.
“We need a centrally located panchayat ghar. Besides, we want a playground, a library and bus stops in the seven-km stretch which is widened to four lanes, proper street lights, and the problem of stray cattle and dogs to be solved, on a priority basis,” said Dias.
Another local Sandeep Parkar said it is now 22 years the Panchayat has acquired land for final rites at Deepnagar Curti but still the land is not properly distributed to Hindus, Muslims, Catholics. The Hindus are suffering as no crematorium shed is constructed.
