Team Herald
VASCO: The grounded pontoon at Arossim beach has triggered anger among the villagers as well as the local civic forum. From the removal of the pontoon to issuing of permission, the villagers are highlighting the illegalities to ensure that the culprits are taken to task.
On Friday, the Cansaulim Villagers Action Committee (CVAC) held an emergency meeting of its members, who unanimously resolved to ensure that the pontoon, which ran aground on Arossim beach some days ago, is removed before it turned out to be another River Princess.
The CVAC has also decided to challenge the permission given by the Cansaulim-Arossim-Cuelim (CAC) sarpanch Filomena D’Mello for a beach wedding at Arossim beach, and if required, to ensure that an FIR is filed against those involved. The committee has also decided to take up the issues of the grounded pontoon and panchayat permission very aggressively in the gram sabha scheduled for Sunday.
“We want the pontoon to be removed at any cost or else whoever has given permission for the beach wedding should bear the cost of its removal. Under no circumstances will we allow anyone go scot-free,” said Simon D’Souza of CVAC.
As per CVAC, the sarpanch had no powers to issue any NOC/permission for a beach wedding, and it was the panchayat secretary who could issue the same. However, Panchayat Director Gurudas Pilarnekar has confirmed that it is mostly the panchayat secretary who is authorized to sign and issue permission for beach weddings, but under a new amendment to Section 47A and B of the Panchayat Raj Act, the sarpanch can also sign and issue an NOC/permission provided the same is supported by a panchayat resolution.
“I don’t have many details about the Arossim beach wedding case, but legally speaking, generally only the panchayat secretary can issue permission/NOC, and under a new amendment to the Act, in the secretary’s absence, the sarpanch can sign and issue permission provided the same is backed by a panchayat resolution before issuing the permission. If there is no such resolution, then issuing an NOC would be called as misuse/abuse of power, for which the sarpanch may even be removed from the chair or even as a panch member,” Pilarnekar told Herald.
Meanwhile, CAC Sarpanch Filomena D’Mello has confirmed that she never called for a panchayat resolution in the present case. She said, “I am not fully aware of the implications and I just followed the tradition. Earlier, the sarpanch used to issue such permission for beach weddings, and the same way I issued permission/NOC without a panchayat resolution. If there is any illegality, then let the law take its own course.”
