At a well-attended Gram Sabha held on Sunday at the Nuvem Panchayat Hall, members unanimously passed a resolution to restrict mega housing projects in the village, citing serious concerns over its ecological and infrastructural carrying capacity. The meeting, chaired by Sarpanch Freda D’Sa.
The highlight of the session was a resolution introduced by Pausilipo Dourado, who raised concerns about the conversion of land parcels under survey numbers 265/1 and 252/6 in Pateapur ward from non-development slope to settlement under Section 17(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act.
He warned that such conversions would further strain village resources, leaving little scope for the youth and future generations of Nuvem to find affordable housing.
His resolution urging the Panchayat not to approve any mega housing projects or construction on these plots was passed unanimously.
Dourado also highlighted the influx of migrants and questioned if the Panchayat maintains any official records.
Sarpanch D’Sa clarified that such records are maintained by the police and agreed to write to the Director of Panchayats and the Collector seeking clarification on the Panchayat’s role in this matter, and to request increased police patrolling in overpopulated areas.
She also emphasized that house owners renting to migrants must report their details to both the Panchayat and police.
Maria Fernandes raised a concern regarding garbage dumping near her residence, which led to a wider discussion on waste disposal.
Amancio Fernandes moved a resolution to increase the support price for all local agricultural produce, especially Alsando (Goan beans). Jose Roque Andrade brought attention to the PWD department’s failure to provide proper pipeline layout plans, despite a favorable RTI order from the First Appellate Authority in Panjim.
His resolution was passed, requiring the Panchayat to obtain and maintain detailed utility maps — including water, electricity, and telephone lines — for public reference.
Carmelito Andrade recommended uploading this data to the OneMap Goa GIS portal for better coordination among departments.
During the open floor session, Carmelito Andrade and Zarina D'Cuna highlighted the safety hazard caused by vendors selling fruits and plants along the bypass/service