Team Herald
MARGAO: Raia Sarpanch Zelia Gonsalves clarified that the panchayat secretary was asked by her on Tuesday to write to the BDO to depute an engineer to carry out inspection of sites where there have been complaints of illegalities including at the premises of the Salgaoncar College coming within the panchayat jurisdiction.
Earlier, a villager Anthony Fernandes accompanied by half a dozen residents of Manora Raia alleged that the sarpanch was abetting illegalities as she had not taken any action against despite having complained to her nine times since she took over as the sarpanch.
They alleged that four illegal houses have been constructed by migrants and that the sarpanch does not want to take any action against them even though three houses were demolished earlier. Further, they alleged that the college was releasing waste water in the fields due to which one farmer could not cultivate his land.
Conceding that they have not raised this matter at the gram sabha since the new body was elected due to frustration over inaction by the previous panchayat, they said they would now complain to the panchayat minister to take action against the sarpanch.
However, Zelia Gonsalves said she was handicapped as the panchayat did not have a full time secretary for a long time. “Now that we have a full time secretary, I have just told him to ask the BDO to depute an engineer to carry out site inspection,” she said.
Admitting that there were complaints made by Anthony, she said an inspection cannot be held at the time when the complainant wants or demands. “Due to the rains it would not have been worthwhile conducting an inspection to see if water was being released in the fields,” she pointed out.
“That land has not been handed over to the panchayat as yet,” she said referring to the bougainvillea plants planted outside the compound wall of the college building and further argued that since it was not affecting anybody, there was no need to remove the plants.
