PONDA: None of the 11 Usgao-Ganjem panchayat members attended the local gram sabha on Sunday. Gram sabha members were displeased over the same as they couldn’t get their grievances redressed.
On condition of anonymity, a few panches stated that they refrained from the gram sabha to protest the government’s delay in conducting elections for the posts of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch. The posts have been vacant for a fortnight after the post-holders were voted out through no-confidence motions.
The gram sabha on Sunday was held under the chairmanship of Sadguru Marcaikar, who was appointed as the panchayat administrator two weeks ago. Panchayat secretary Sanjay Naik helped him conduct the meeting.
The members resolved that the administrator should fulfil an earlier resolution of granting 80 percent of jobs in Usgao-based industries to local youths. They also asked him to raise the matter with the ministers holding the industries and panchayat portfolios.
Locals want the government to hold panchayat elections as early as possible since they have many grievances that the administrator cannot solve. They demanded that the posts of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch be filled urgently. Incidentally, Block Development Office sources stated that the administrator can conduct the panchayat’s business for at least two months.
