PONDA: Locals of Borim Gram sabha on Sunday accused the former Secretary of the panchayat, Rajat Narvekar, of corruption. The citizens claimed that Narvekar demanded bribes for providing various certificates, including NOCs and House Occupancy. There are six complainants against him, and the locals demanded strong action against the Secretary.
As tempers flared at the meeting, Sarpanch Domingo Vaz said that no complaints have been filed by citizens with regard to specific allegations. However, two panch members strongly supported the citizens, stating that they will stand behind them if they file complaints with evidence of corruption.
Rahul Naik, Sachin Naik, and others who raised the issue said they would file a complaint with the panchayat, BDO, and police, stating they had received several complaints, and that Narvekar had removed CCTV cameras from the panchayat office to avoid exposing his illegal activities. Responding to the allegations, Sarpanch said he had not received any complaints from citizens regarding the Secretary’s alleged misdoings, while the locals claimed they have proof and would approach higher authorities with their complaints.
GS member Sachin Naik said that he has been asking for four years to set up a permanent MRF by identifying land, but the Panchayat has failed to obtain the land, leading to the dumping of garbage on Khajorda ground. This dumping subjects local sportspeople to foul stench, and many have stopped using the ground, he added.
During the rainy season, garbage flows along with stormwater down the hilly terrain and into residential areas, causing inconvenience to locals. Sudesh Borkar complained that the villagers were not informed on the VDC Meeting, making it difficult to put forth their views. Issues pertaining to irregular water supply were also discussed.
