Team Herald
MARGAO: Balu Nistani, a former panchayat member of Guirdolim, while asserting that he had never asked the panchayat to remove the cage erected to store the collected garbage from the village and accused the panchayat body of acting at its own whims and fancies and maligning him.
He pointed out that at the time when nobody wanted garbage in their backyard, he appealed to his cousin and got the place for the panchayat to keep the cage so that the village could be kept clean and neat and somebody would be gainfully employed in collecting the dry garbage.
“It is true that at that time I had said that since I was a panchayat member I would offer this place during my tenure. However, after my term was over I never asked the panchayat to remove the cage,” he said denying allegations that he used to abuse the labourer going to pick up the garbage in the cage.
Balu wondered why the panchayat did not bother to send him even one letter or even call him up to seek his version when it claims that he had asked them to remove the cage and insisted that he had never asked the panchayat to remove the cage.
He said that even though his family that is involved in dairy business were suffering because the cattle would fall sick and some even died by consuming the waste littering outside the cage, they did not complain about the nuisance caused to them personally.
“I really do not know what is their intention and why are they doing this,” he said when asked why the panchayat members were claiming that he had asked them to remove the cage.
It may be recalled that some newly elected panchayat member removed the cage yesterday claiming that Balu had asked it to be removed and placed it at the children’s park constructed near Jitlem spring.
Meanwhile, some villagers from Guirdolim have started questioning the wisdom of keeping the cage to collect the garbage at a park constructed for children where children come to play and while away their time.
