Team Herald
CARMONA: The shocks continue to send waves of outrage through Carmona. The Panchayat department is currently investigating a case of alleged forgery of the panchayat secretary Krishna Dessai’s signature granting the construction licence to Raheja Universal.
As per the attendance register, Dessai has not been to office since September 12, yet on September 15, the outward register shows the panchayat secretary’s signature granting the construction licence.
Dessai has also not reported for duty at Paroda panchayat where he holds dual responsibility and the BDO has sent a 24-hour show cause notice to his residence as leave for this period has not been sanctioned.
On a day when there was a flurry of activity and frenetic scenes and a police complaint alleging corruption and forgery filed at Colva Police Station, the Salcete BDO inspected the Carmona panchayat records till late Tuesday evening and scanned copies of the attendance register and outward and inward register at the panchayat.
Dessai last visited the panchayat office on September 11 where he allegedly manipulated the minutes of the panchayat meeting passing a resolution to grant the construction licence even though panchas Prisco Rodrigues and Carlos Jorge raised objections.
Rodrigues and Jorge’s allegations are significant as they contradict Deputy Sarpanch’s Orlando Da Silva that no objections had been raised at the September 11 meeting. Incidentally, the former sarpanch who resigned on September 11 and did not attend the crucial meeting has also said she was not taken into confidence about the issue of licence on September 15.
On Saturday, da Silva had admitted he had no idea if the licence had been given saying it was for the panchayat secretary to sign. No panch visited the office last week, barring Rodrigues who submitted written objections to the project on September 13 alleging that his prior objections raised at the September 3 and September 10 meeting as well as site inspection had been ignored.
Against this backdrop, villagers along with Rodrigues and Jorge gathered at the panchayat on Tuesday morning to speak to Dessai who visits the panchayat every alternate day. When the village committee members enquired with the staff, they were informed of Dessai’s absence and the villagers, who had originally chosen to protest at the pancahyat ghar, rushed to the Salcete BDO.
Colva police present at Carmona panchayat alerted their Margao counterparts who also rushed to the BDO. The villagers gheraoed Salcete BDO Uday Prabhudesai who initially gave unsatisfactory and vague assurances about looking into the matter. These were met with heated responses from the villagers. Later, outside the BDO office, Margao PI, C L Patil addressed the agitated villagers. Later, the locals went to Colva Police Station and filed a police complaint against the panchayat and demanded an immediate investigation sensing mischief.
