TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CANACONA: The ongoing struggle against the proposed Kulti Industrial Estate in Poinguinim has taken an interesting twist, with Poinguinkarancho Ekvott Chief and Poinguinim Deputy Sarpanch Caitanno Barretto now faced with a no-confidence motion by seven panchas, including the sarpanch.
On Wednesday, a no-confidence motion was submitted to the Canacona BDO’s office with Sarpanch Mahesh Naik and six panchas Vallabh Tengse, Archana Painguinkar, Jagdish Tawadkar, Ramdas Pujari, Surekha Prabhugaonkar and Prakash Metri supporting the motion. Chiplem Panch Jasmin Fernandes is the only panch who is not party to the no-trust motion.
Barretto is officially being blamed for going against the developments undertaken by the panchayat body, but his recent opposition to the proposed Kulti Industrial Estate in Poinguinim is being strongly linked to his proposed ouster.
Incidentally, Barretto, a staunch BJP stalwart from Galgibaga, was rewarded with the deputy sarpancha’s post, after BJP-backed leaders swept the last Poinguinim panchcyat elections.
Barretto is known to be very close to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, the local MLA, but his recent moves to oppose the proposed industrial estate at Kulti has allegedly upset the sports minister.
Barretto is also credited for spearheading moves to keep Galgibaga beach for turtle nesting and had valiantly opposed moves to turn the Galgibaga-Talpona coast as tourism hubs.
The birth of Poinguinikarancho Ekvott is the result of such opposition and Barretto had alleged that the panchayat, led by Sarpanch Mahesh Naik ~ who incidentally is the BJP Canacona Block President ~ had bypassed earlier resolutions and went on to give permissions to several tourism activities along this coast during this tourism season.
