TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
BICHOLIM: The Pilgao Gram Sabha on Sunday resolved to remove the sheets erected by a mining company along the roadside at Sarmanas-Bicholim.
The villagers demanded to know why the sheets erected some one-and-half year ago by the mining company along the roadside are not yet removed.
Sarpanch Jayant Kavlekar replied that a Devasthan committee complained that the land where the sheets are placed belongs to them and should be removed. However, Sarmanas Panch Anil Naik accused the secretary and sarpanch of neglecting the issue.
Kavlekar said they had resolved to refer the matter to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) and after the inspection, TCP claimed that they did not give any NOC to the company. The villagers got furious after they realised that the panchayat was unable to initiate any action against the company even after one-and-half years.
At this, the sarpanch accused the earlier committee. “We are here since three months, but for the Sarmanas panch, this is his second tenure and why he did not do anything in this matter,” the sarpanch questioned.
There was uproar over the issue with the sarpanch, secretary and panchas accusing each other over the issue.
The issue of mobile tower also came up for discussion. It was resolved to demolish the tower and undertake inspection of the sheets along the roadside to initiate further action. “We will initiate further action and remove the sheets as we have not given any NOC to the company,” said Kavlekar.
The issue of illegal sand extraction in the village also came for discussion and ward member, Jyoti Vengurlekar, alleged that the sand is transported at night after switching off the current in the area.
The villagers said such activities should be immediately stopped. There was heated argument over the issue when Secretary Hanumant Borkar and Kavlekar did not show willingness to include the issue in the minutes book.
“We have inspected the site and observed that there is no such activity going on. If the panch suspects this, she should have photographed it and added some proof. We have already intimated the police and now it is their duty to look into the matter,” said the sarpanch.
Issues like indiscipline parking on road, cleanliness of public area and gutters from the village, frequent power cuts, unhygienic condition of drinking water, commissioning of a KTC bus in Pilgao, etc, were discussed.
Deputy Sarpanch Babaji Gaonkar, Panchas Swapnil Fadte, Rashmi Kavlekar, Jyoti Vengurlekar, Anil Naik and Vishnu Jalmi were among others present for the meeting.
