PERNEM: Saligao gram sabha adopted a resolution to oppose expansion of Saligao garbage treatment plant.
The gram sabha also appealed to the locals to file objections as and when the expansion work is taken up.
After the villagers assembled for the gram sabha, panchayat secretary read out the minutes of the previous meeting. Then, Sarpanch Shraddha Borkar informed the villagers that the panchayat has passed resolution opposing the expansion of garbage treatment plant from 100 tonnes to 250 tonnes and appealed to the people to file objections, as she said, the panchayat cannot file case as it is a local self government.
The villagers claimed that people from other villages are dropping their garbage at the Saligao plant when the plant is actually built to treat garbage from only two constituencies.
“The plant is built to treat garbage of only Saligao and Calangute constituencies. However, Bardez villages are dumping their garbage here and panchayat should stop that at first place,” a villager said.
Later, the sarpanch announced that from November 4, the panchayat would begin with door to door collection of wet garbage wherein a worker would visit the ward, blow a whistle and the people will have to come with their wet garbage and drop in the bins. “The panchayat will take up this activity on trial basis and if it works properly, then, it will go full-fledged,” the sarpanch said.
To this, a local suggested that instead of dumping wet garbage at the plant, every house should dig a pit and dump their garbage in that making compost. This, he said, would reduce the amount of wet garbage being dumped at the plant.
Another local also claimed that the garbage collector refuses to collect glass bottles. The sarpanch then informed that on the first of every month, a worker collects bottles, but hence forth if the worker refuses to accept the bottles, then, people can directly approach the sarpanch.
The gram sabha scrapped the garbage management committee and a new committee was formed since the previous committee members failed to take action on the garbage issues.
Locals raised their concern over the trade licence issued. Locals claimed that the panchayat is issuing trade licence to locals however the businesses are being run by outsiders. Locals demanded the panchayat take necessary action against such practice.
Panchayat also scrapped the existing traffic management and road safety committee and formed a new committee since the existing committee was inactive.
Locals informed the Sarpanch that tourists traveling through Saligao are taking internal roads instead of MDR roads to avoid getting challans for not following traffic rules. To this, the sarpanch said he would to write to the police.
To curb crimes in the village involving tourists, the sarpanch informed that two staffers are appointed to conduct door to door verification of people who have given rooms on rent to tourists and foreigners and appealed to people to cooperate and provide information. Sarpanch also requested the people who have rented rooms to carry out the police verification process as soon as they rent room to tourists/foreigners.
