Team Herald
MARGAO: What could be more shocking then to know that the Sao Jose de Areal Village Panchayat from Salcete Taluka has not conducted a single gram sabha meeting for the last one year, despite two memorandums from the Block Development Officer (BDO).
Taking serious note of the same, villagers have expressed anger and demanded to conduct the gram sabha immediately.
However, as informed by Sarpanch Joyci Dias, the gram sabha meeting will now be held on November 20.
The last gram sabha meeting which was conducted when Aliston Fernandes was a sarpanch was in October 2021, but since then no gram sabha was called by the panchayat, resulting in depriving the villagers to raise their issues and problems.
Fredy Travaso, a villager told Herald that the last gram sabha meeting was conducted in 2021 and it is almost one year since there was no gram sabha meeting, and the reason is best known to the panchayat body.
“The concerned BDO had issued a memorandum to the panchayat to hold the gram sabha, besides nearly 1000 villagers had submitted their memorandum to the panchayat and BDO office, demanding for the gram sabha meeting,” he informed.
He claimed that with no gram sabha meeting, several issues of the villagers are lying abandoned and unresolved.
However, newly elected Sarpanch Joyci Dias also admitted that the gram sabha meeting was not held for a very long period of time.
“Now, we have decided to conduct the gram sabha meeting on November 20,” she informed.
