TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Uproar marked the Cavelossim gram sabha presided by Viola Da Costa with Aires Mascarenhas, President of Cavelossim Villagers Forum questioning the Chair on the approval of budget for financial year 2013-2014.
When the Sarpanch requested gram sabha members to confirm the minutes, gram sabha members pointed that resolution recorded in minutes in reference to construction of new panchayat ghar was incorrect. It was pointed that resolution was taken to construct the new panchayat ghar with funds to the tune of Rs 1 crore to be given by government under Deendayal Panchayati Raj Infrastructural Scheme and not with panchayat funds.
However, there was pandemonium over the failure to clarify on current financial year budget approval with panch Edwin Barretto coming to the rescue of sarpanch, even as Mascarenhas and Deniz Dias claimed that the budget was provisionally approved as the body had failed to provide plan for the proposed development works in village along with the budget.
Commotion was witnessed as CVF president Mascarenhas had a heated argument alleging that the panchayat secretary was misleading the gram sabha. A resolution was taken stating that the body has failed to provide plan for the development works in the current year.
Kennedy Afonso accused the panchayat body of utilizing panchayat funds with budget approval.
The issue of blocking of excess to the beach by the star hotels was also discussed. The sarpanch informed that the hotels have denied blocking any beach excess. However, Cruz Cardozo pointed that the excess to beach is blocked by putting barbed wires and demanded that licence granted to hotel blocking the excess be revoked which was later agreed. The meeting also witnessed a lengthy debated over the irregularity in construction by a starred hotel with gram sabha members demanding that a show cause notice be issued to the hotel management asking to maintain beach excess as per panchayat licence and also to maintain proper setback.
There was total confusion when sarpanch in a reply to a query from gram sabha member Jesus D’Costa alleged that the Forum had demanded Rs 40 lakh from the starred hotel. Gram sabha condemned the statement by sarpanch, who however, maintained that he was told of the same by a member of the hotel management. A resolution was taken by the gram sabha members that sarpanch get the video clipping from the hotel of the meeting with Forum members for such a demand. Benaulim MLA Caetano Silva alias Caitu who was present for gram sabha clarified that in July the local village club, Santa Cruz football club members along with him and approached various hotels and establishments in village with request for financial help for construction of club house and that no figure of amount had been demanded.
