TEAM HERALD
MERCES: With the house tax remaining stagnant for several years in Merces village, the panchayat has decided to reassess it and tax the households based on the area of each house.
The panchayat also decided to outsource the work of conducting the survey of identifying the area of every house in the village.
The decision was taken at the gram sabha on Sunday on the backdrop of the audit report which has suggested that the house tax in the village needs to be re-assessed.
However, there was no unanimity on the issue as the villagers differed in their opinion on increase in the amount of house tax.
Later, it was decided that households should be taxed based on the area and the survey of identifying area of houses should be outsourced to a competent agency.
The issue of mushrooming businesses at Moloca also figured with Jerry Vaz questioning why the panchayat was not acting against these businesses even when the villagers have demanded closure of the same.
However, Sarpanch Walter D’Souza informed that the owner of these businesses has got stay orders against the demolition notices served to him.
But Vaz highlighted the growing nuisance caused to the villagers due to haphazard parking in the area and demanded that the panchayat should approach the traffic police to tow away such vehicles.
When the sarpanch replied that the traffic police are not heeding to the panchayat’s request, Vaz resolved that the panchayat should file a FIR with the police as haphazard parking poses a threat to life of the road users.
The issue of decreasing bread size in the village was highlighted by Sebastiao Fernandes who demanded that the panchayat should serve notices to the bakery owners and also to the departments concerned so that the standard size and weight of the bread is maintained.
The Sarpanch also put forth a proposal of setting up garbage treatment plant in the village and said he needs the support of villagers in this regard.
Stating that the panchayat has identified a place belonging to the Comunidade, D’Souza asked the help of the villagers in convincing the Comunidade members in parting with the land so that a waste plant can be set up.
Highlighting the nuisance of plastic bags in the village, Jerry Vaz said the panchayat needs to play a pro-active role so that the ban on plastic bags below 40 microns is maintained.
Vaz further resolved that the panchayat should conduct surprise raids on certain shopkeepers who are circulating the banned plastic bags.
