SANGUEM: With three days to go for the final countdown to the panchayat elections, poll fever at the grassroots level at the seven village panchayats in Sanguem Taluka has gained momentum with candidates making one last attempt to woo the voters.
Leaving aside Sanvordem Panchayat which has seen development to some extent over the past few years, the remaining six panchayats in Sanguem which comprises of Uguem, Bhati, Curdi Wadem, Neturlim, Kalay and Rivona have failed to achieve any significant development over the past several decades. The outlook of these panchayats has remained the same despite the Sanguem constituency having been under the BJP regime for the past fifteen years.
Except for developments of road works in certain villages, the problems faced by the villagers residing in the remote areas have continued. The Kalay panchayat which once enjoyed a major share on the development front from income generated through mining and the operation of Aparant Iron and Steel Factory, has been on the back foot since the closure of mining activities and Aparant Iron and Steel Plant. Ever since the closure of Aparant Iron and Steel Plant, the unemployment problem in the village has increased manifold. A large number of village youth who were employed at the Plant are now retrenched with no place to work.
The nearby Uguem village which has no source of income whatsoever except that of house tax is the poorest of all panchayats in Sanguem taluka. Though Uguem is located barely four kilometres away from Sanguem town, it is like a dormant panchayat with neither the government nor the panchayat authorities taking any steps towards the development of the panchayat areas.
During the last ten years, the only major development which is undertaken by the panchayat is the construction of the new panchayat building under the Golden Jubilee funds. The premises is under construction and is expected to be ready in another few months time.
The Netravali and the Curdi Vadem village panchayats though form the nearest panchayats to the Selaulim Resorvoir. Many wards in both the panchayts do not have a supply of proper drinking water. The situation is bad in Wadem Curdi Colony No. 1 and 2 and in some hilly areas of Netravali village panchayat. The remote areas are also facing the problem of medical facilities in the village. But the elected panchayat members to the village panchayats of Curdi Wadem and Netravali are found to be depending on the local MLA’s to do the work for them which incidentally has not happened for several years.
The Rivona Panchayat which also depends a lot on income generated from the mining activities has not been touched by any government development work. The outlook of the village right from Molcornem Junction to Sulcorna and other internal wards have remained the same over the past few decades.
The panchas who are set to be elected from all the seven panchayats except that of Sanvordem are having a major job of achieving major development projects in their respective wards.
The contesting candidates are heard assuring the voters of all around development activities in the villages. With a lot many new faces also up in the election campaign, one wonders whether these candidates really meant business or are they in race only for name sake.
