ZP member alleges surrender to Churchill, kicks up storm
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, SEPT 30
The meeting of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat turned stormy over the construction of the Zilla bhavan, with an agitated opposition member Nelly Rodrigues alleging that PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco are planning to run the affairs of the Zilla Panchayat.
Rodrigues even went to the extent of saying that Reginaldo met at the apartment of former ZP Chairperson Cleofacio Dias today to ensure that the Zilla Panchayat does not accept the land identified by ZP member Domnic Gauncar for the proposed ZIlla Panchayat bhavan.
This evoked strong protests from the Chairperson Maria Rebello and Seema Dias, who termed as false Nelly’s allegations that Reginaldo had met to discuss the land issue.
The issue came to the fore after the Chairperson Maria Rebello told the members that nothing concrete has come out of the committee constituted by the ZP body to identify land for the ZP bhavan.
Ms Rebello said that committee member Dominic Gaonkar maintained that the landlord has now refused to donate any land for the bhavan and hence pointed out that the ZP body should pass a resolution and approach the government to allot an entire floor in the district Collectorate once the collectorate is shifted to the new building.
Matters came to a head when Member Daya Pagi made some remarks, which was taken strongly objection by Nelly. At one stage, the Chairperson literally shouted at Nelly to sit down as Daya Pagi was on his feet and told her to prove her allegations that Churchill and Reginaldo were planning to run the ZP affairs.
