Velim gram sabha demands scraping of land acquisition jetty expansion
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, FEB 20
Velim villagers on Sunday told the panchayat in no uncertain terms to immediately write to the district Collector, South to completely scrap the land acquisition proceedings and the fisheries department proposal for the Cutbona jetty expansion project.
At the Sunday gram sabha, members also demanded the presence of Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues at the next gram sabha meeting and declare his stand on the controversial land acquisition proposal. The members pointed out that the MLA had promised to study the matter but till date has not disclosed his stand on the land acquisition proposal though people of his constituency have been agitating over the issue.
The gram sabha further resolved that henceforth no agricultural land should be given for any other purpose than farming.
The issue figured at the meeting after members sought to know from the sarpanch the status of the land acquisition proceedings after the government put on hold the process last year. The sarpanch replied that the panchayat has received no communication from any official or government department regarding the said acquisition since September 1.
The issue over the sluice gates surfaced once again after a member pointed out that the opening and closing of the sluice gates was very important for prevention of floods. The farmers present at the meeting in large numbers pointed out that no amount of visits to the Mamlatdar office had any effect on the improvement in the monitoring of the sluice gates.
They pointed out that the sluice gates of Cutbona were shut few days ago but on inspection of the site by concerned villagers, they were found once again open. Another member pointed out that the middle portion of the gate was removed purposefully so as to allow saline river water to enter the fields.
After much discussions, members proposed that the Panchayat call for a joint inspection of the sluice gates with the Collector, Mamlatdar , Talathi and villagers so that the villagers can explain their problems when the saline water is purposefully allowed to enter the fields and destroy them.
Valentine Rebello pointed out that he regularly prepares his fields for the cultivation but his crops are destroyed due to inundation of saline waters, causing him huge financial loss.
Members pulled up the Panchayat for the poor attendance, with only three out of nine members present for the meeting.
On illegal land filling at Cutbona and river encroachment by a restaurant, members demanded that the Panchayat conduct a site inspection and file an FIR report. The Panchayat was also quizzed on the previous complaints of land filling at Cutbona and in the water body at Rangalli. They were asked to follow up on the issue of illegal land filling wuith the TCP .
Illegalities of the PDS was discussed with gram sabha complaining that no proper dates on the availability of supplies are displayed at the Fair Price shops. They pointed out that absence of information by the Civil Supplies Office as to the amount distributed to the dealers and amount available to the consumers hence it results in discrepancy of distribution for the same product.
It was proposed that the Civil Supplies & Consumer Affair Department be informed of this monthly Harassment to the Villagers of Velim and an inspection be held immediately of all the fair prices shops in Velim. It was also requested that the Panchayat invite the Director and Inspector of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to the Village inorder that the people problems can be addressed.
A member Mark Barros pointed out that Garbage issue is mounting in Velim village and it was time the Panchayat takes the issue on top priority and put an action plan in place.
