Team Herald
QUEPEM: The Xeldem Gram Sabha was adjourned following heated arguments over the issue of electing a village biodiversity committee, and a conflict over a blocked road at Novimoddi, due to a housing project undertaken by the TCP. Soon after the gram sabha elected a new village biodiversity committee, trouble started between the panchayat body and the villagers, who demanded to know the progress report of the outgoing committee. The gram sabha attendees were further annoyed when they found that not even one member of the outgoing committee was present.
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The villagers also opposed a project at Novimoddi, complaining that it would block their road access. They demanded that all the permissions granted to the project be immediately withdrawn.
Deputy Sarpanch Pramod Desai said that Novimoddi villagers were making allegations against the panchayat, when it was actually the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department which granted technical clearance to the project. He said that roads already exist on both sides of the ward for the villagers to enter the area and that there is no question of stopping or obstructing them. He blamed the villagers for creating the ruckus which led to adjourning the gram sabha.
Xeldem Sarpanch Dipti Naik said that the TCP department had given approvals to the project and there was no issue with the passage being blocked, as there were other roads for the villagers’ convenience.
