TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Uproar and bedlam marked the gram sabha of Macazana Village Panchayat on Sunday with members even coming close to exchanging blows before better sense prevailed at the meeting.
Trouble began at the gram sabha right from the word go when a gram sabha member questioned the chair Theresa Almeida e D’Costa on how the gram sabha could proceed even before taking the signatures of the members present.
Another gram sabha member Ani Estibeiro demanded to know why a panch member, Salvador Fernandes, representing Ward No four was not invited for the gram sabha.
D’Costa informed that Salvador was not sent a notice for the gram sabha as panch in view of the deletion of his name from the Macazana electoral roll. However, his supporters refused to sign and when the D’Costa started the meeting, they raised the question on quorum. It was after pandemonium that the gram sabha meeting started only an hour late at 11.20 am with no any major decision taken on any development work in the village.
A lengthy debate was witnessed over the issue of the use of Rs 10 lakh golden jubilee grant with gram sabha members demanding that it be used as per resolution taken at gram sabha meeting held on October 28, 2012.
Former sarpanch Cristina Vaz informed that as per resolution, the amount was to be spent on the renovation of the existing Panchayat Ghar as per the plan approved by gram sabha. Majority of members demanded that the approved plan should not be changed even as the chairperson informed that the respective file would be submitted to TCP for approval and demanded that if changes made should be put before gram sabha.
On the query raised by a gram sabha member over the tender for desilting of drains and cutting of bushes, the Sarpanch clarified that the person who had been allotted the tender still had time to complete work. However, the sarpanch was caught on wrong foot when one of gram sabha members pointed that a completion certificate had been allotted by the four members in the seven-member panchayat. Resolution was adopted that the tenderer complete all work within 60 days and only then he be paid the amount of Rs 1.35 lakh.
