Seeks ‘expert assistance’ to curb illegalities
TEAM HERALD
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CANACONA: Claiming that a whopping 95-96% of constructions in panchayat areas are illegal, Panchayat Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has sought “expert assistance” in simplifying the licensing procedures to curb large-scale illegalities in constructions.
Parsekar was addressing sarpanchas and panchas of all seven panchayats of Canacona taluka at Government Rest House, Shristhal, on Wednesday in the presence of Canacona MLA and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, Director of Panchayat Narayan Sawant and Deputy Director (South) Vasudev Shetye and Canacona BDO Uday Prabhudessai.
Reacting to requests from some sarpanchas and panchas to legalise the illegal constructions in their villages, Parsekar said: “It is not possible to legalise all illegal constructions, as according to my knowledge, nearly 95-96% of constructions in panchayat areas are illegal.”
“Procedures are necessary no matter who governs the State,” he said and asked the sarpanchas and panchas of Canacona taluka to entertain constructions only with proper licences from authorities.
“After gauging the situation that most people tend to avoid tedious licensing procedures, government is planning to simplify it, but given several negative and inordinate pros and cons, experts are needed to frame such simplified licensing procedure. I appeal you to help me in this task and provide me with expert advice,” Parsekar asked the sarpanchas and panchas.
“The government simply cannot legalise each and every illegal construction in the State and will follow only legal aspects to ensure that everyone is benefitted from it,” he added.
“Government can allot upto Rs 1 crore to any panchayat from the Infrastructure Development Fund which can be used for infrastructure development, including the cost for land acquisition,” added Parsekar.
“The government is planning a common cadre for the panchayat staff. It is during the previous BJP government that the staff was appointed and also during BJP tenure their payments were enhanced. We want to bring them on par with other government staff so that the needy are benefited from the common cadre,” he said.
Parsekar said an additional engineer will be posted at BDO to expedite the growing number of works.
‘Easier to make demands in Oppn than to fulfil them as ruling MLA’
CANACONA: It appears easier to make demands as an Opposition legislator than to fulfil them as a legislator of the ruling party.
Admitting this, Panchayat Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said during his last 10 years as MLA sitting in Opposition benches, he had been regularly speaking and urging the government to legalise the illegal constructions.
“But having been made the panchayat minister, I have realised the bitter truth that it is extremely difficult that to do something that I was demanding for the last several years,” said Parsekar.
“I realized that is not an easy task to accomplish what I was shouting about all those years, as several aspects are involved in such an exercise,” said Parsekar, while interacting with sarpanchas and panchas of seven panchayats in Canacona taluka at Shristhal.
