Two scrapyards at Jackniband operate in defiance of p’yat body

TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: In this village, sarpanchas have come and gone and new panchayat bodies have replaced the old ones over the years, but these two scrap yards located on the banks of river Sal at Jackniband mysteriously remain untouched.
A perusal of a set of documents revealed that there’s no dearth of correspondence between the panchayat body and the Collectorate; between the Collectorate officials and the taluka Mamlatdar and the Mamlatdar to the talathi on the removal of the scrap yards. From the panchayat side, there have been resolutions galore adopted by the gram sabhas and the panchayat body meetings against the scrap yards, but in vain.
The last resolution that was adopted at the gram sabha in the current term was way back on August 11, 2013. Based on the resolution despatched by the outgoing sarpanch Agostinho D’Costa, the Deputy Collector, Margao, had on March 27, 2013 directed Salcete Mamlatdar Vishal Kundaikar to conduct a detailed inquiry into the presence of the scrap yards in the village.
After dilly dallying for months, the Mamlatdar had on December 8, 2014, finally filed the inquiry report before the Deputy Collector, confirming the presence of the two scrap yards on the banks of river Sal. Surprisingly, the Mamlatdar’s inquiry report mysteriously remains silent on the legal status of the two scrap yards even though then sarpanch Agostinho had written to the Deputy Collector categorically stating that the scrap yards existing at Jackniband near the river Sal are creating metal pollution, leaving the river polluted, affecting life of fish.
When Herald sought to know from newly-elected sarpanch Domnic Noronha his plan of action against the scrap yards when they are blatantly operating without panchayat permission, he said the local body will take the issue to the logical conclusion. “After assuming office last month, the panchayat has now decided to act against the scrap yards. They have been operating without panchayat permission. We will soon issue notices to the two scrap yards”, Domnic asserted, while admitting that while it is mandatory to obtain panchayat permission before opening any business venture, the scrap yards have not take any panchayat approval before starting the business.