Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The residents of Ladfem in Latambarcem Village Panchayat are up in arms over the construction of a road along Goa-Maharashtra border, which they claim as illegal and built without obtaining the necessary permissions.
Suspecting that the road is constructed so that the land could be developed and sold as plots, the residents have now made their stance clear that they will not allow any mega housing projects in the village.
The agitated villagers raised the matter during the gram sabha on Sunday following which, the Latambarcem Sarpanch Rama Gaonkar and panchayat members along with residents visited the site and
conducted a site inspection.
During the inspection, they found that someone had illegally constructed the inter-State road, without obtaining the necessary permissions.
Claiming that the road is being built illegally, the residents alleged that the perpetrators have flouted all rules and kept the entire
government machinery in the dark.
Krishnarao Rane, a villager alleged that the road is being built by cutting hill and trees. It was surprising to note that no government authority was aware of the ongoing illegality.
The Sarpanch said, “It is surprising that the road has been built without even taking permission from the village panchayat. This issue was earlier brought to the notice of the panchayat and that the Bicholim Deputy Collector had stopped the construction work.”
The sarpanch assured the villagers that he would take up the matter with the higher authorities to find out as to how the road was built.
Earlier, the gram sabha discussed various issues even as the sarpanch expressed his concern over the style of functioning of the panchayat secretary.
Gaonkar alleged that the panchayat secretary had issued an occupancy certificate to a residential house but on inspection it was found to be a commercial building comprising 25-30 flats. The gram sabha members demanded immediate transfer of the panchayat secretary.