talukareports

OLD GOA: Three persons, including two minors, were arrested on charges of stealing scrap material worth Rs 1 lakh at Gaundalim near Old Goa.

According to Old Goa police, Atul Volvoikar complained that the incident took place in the wee ours of August 17.  Acting on the complaint, police arrested the accused and the two juveniles have been sent to the Apna Ghar in Merces. ASI Shiva Naik is investigating.

MARGAO: South Goa additional Sessions Judge Vandana Tendulkar has upheld the sentence pronounced by the lower court which had convicted four accused Manuel Gonsalves, Melva Gonsalves, Celina Rodrigues and Meena Gonsalves, all from Navelim who were sentenced for committing offence of unlawful assembly, armed with deadly weapons, criminally trespassing into the property and house of complainant one B Amonkar, resident of Butica, Navelim on 5-1-2013 damaging shed, abusing and assaulting the complainant and causing loss of Rs 1.5 lakh. The accused persons along with 10 others used hammer, cutters, iron rod, peak-axe and chopper in committing offence. The judge upheld the sentenced of 2 months imprisonment passed by the JMFC, Margao and further directed each of the accused to pay a fine of Rs 6,000. However, the court exempted accused Rodrigues who suffered paralytic stoke from undergoing the imprisonment, but has directed to pay the fine.

MAYEM: Truck drivers from Bicholim and Sattari talukas have demanded a financial package from the State government before Ganesh Chaturthi. This demand was made at a meeting of about 125 truck drivers from Bicholim and Sattari talukas at Postawada-Honda. The meeting was organized to protest against the State government’s failure to provide a financial package for truck drivers on par with truck owners.  A committee was also elected on the occasion to pursue their demands with the State government and Vishnu Sawal was elected as its president. Sawal appealed to the drivers to remain united and informed them that the matter would be highlighted before the state Government through the intervention of Sanquelim MLA Dr Pramod Sawant. 

Other members elected in the newly formed committee included Sanjay Shetye, Mahadev Gawade, Ramu Mote, Babaji Malik, Mahesh Bandi, Chandrakant Sakhalkar, Prashant Naik, Ashok Naik, Rameshwar Parab, Namdev Gawade and Shankar Rajgole.

CHORAO: Residents of Chorao have asked the local panchayat to convene a special Gram Sabha to improve the ferry services along the Chorao-Ribandar route and to improve the electricity and drinking water supply on the island. The issues were raised at a meeting on Sunday, as residents discussed other problems in the island. The residents were informed that around Rs 5 lakh had been spent on the library, but with details unclear about actual utilization of the funds, the residents passed a resolution to discuss the issue at the next Gram Sabha. The garbage committee present in the Gramsabha alleged that the panchayat had not taken them into confidence on issues pertaining to garbage management in the village. Residents also complained that the health centre had stopped checking the blood sugar of patients and had asked them to visit the health centre at Bicholim. They asked the panchayat to look into the matter.

MAYEM: Barely hours after she was elected as Kudnem sarpanch on August 11, Poonam Pethkar was hit by a no-confidence motion and she survived only a week in office, before she was ousted in a no-confidence motion by 4-0 votes on Monday. Those who signed the no-confidence motion included Deputy Sarpanch Suresh Kamat and panch members, Sakha Malik, Rajendra Falkar and Prashant Parab.

It may be recalled that, sarpanch Pethkar was served a notice of motion of no confidence on the same day evening of Aug.11 after unanimously getting elected as the sarpanch in the morning. Sarpanch Pethkar and panch members, Pramila Ghadi and Mangaldas Gaonkar, remained absent during the discussion on Monday. This is the second time the Pethkar has been ousted in the village panchayat, which has the post of sarpanch reserved for a female panch.

PONDA: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has complained that vendors have been permitted to illegally occupy the footpaths outside the Ponda municipal market area, adding that Sopo tax had been collected from such illegal vendors.

In a letter to chief officer of Ponda Muncipal Council (PMC), the CITU claimed that the Sopo tax collected from each of these vendors ranged between Rs 200 and Rs 500 per day, which amounted to anything between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000 per month. 

Alleged that receipts were not being issued for the amount collected, the CITU also claimed that the activity was in violation of the high court’s order to keep footpaths free and vacant.

The CITU also requested the PMC to take firm steps to keep the footpath free outside the Ponda municipal market free and vacant, while demanding that a case of extortion be filed against the Sopo tax collection.

It may be recalled that the PMC had removed the vendors from the footpath outside the Ponda municipal market area on August 1, after claiming that the footpath vendors did not fall under Street Vendors Act.

CHORAO: The resignation of Chodan-Madel Deputy Sarpanch Pandari Vernekar has been accepted by the Director of Panchayats. As part of a mutual agreement by the ruling panel, Vernekar has vacated the post in favour of Shamba kalangutkar.

Since the post of sarpanch has been reserved for women panchas, the lone female panch elected from the BJP panel, Divya Usapkar, will continue as sarpanch for a full five-year term.