NT NETWORK
MARGAO
Villagers of Raia on Sunday resolved to write to the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to accept the village garbage at Sonsoddo since the village does not have a garbage disposal system.
A resolution was later moved by Francis Colaco. “The village does not have a garbage disposal system and the panchayat is not bothered to identify any land. Since I am told that the village does not have more land to be acquired for the purpose of garbage treatment plant, I would request the panchayat to urge the MMC to accept the waste at Sonsoddo’’ Colaco said. The Panchayat members held a discussion and later a resolution was taken collectively to write to the MMC. The Raia panchayat roughly generates a tonne of waste daily.
The Sonsoddo garbage dump had its effects on Raia and Curtorim villagers as the leachate drains down and percolates into the ground water.
The villagers asked the panchayat to lay emphasis on registration and verification of tenants in the village since there is an increase in thefts. A resolution moved by Maria Vales was supported by the members of the gram sabha. Sarpanch Luis Quadros promised to contact the beat police and collect necessary information. He also stated that local panchas would also cooperate in submitting the information of the tenants in their respective wards.
The villagers resolved to reassess the house tax in the village after a gram sabha member Francis Colaco pointed out that the house tax levied to bungalows and building complexes are comparatively the same as those of mud houses owned by the poor. The sarpanch informed that the panchayat has decided to engage an agency to do the job. “After completing the survey, house taxes will be reassessed,’’ sarpanch Quadros said.
It was also resolved to form a centre for senior citizens of the village since financial assistance is being provided by the department of social welfare. The villagers raised strong objections to the state government’s move of regularizing houses in the state. They claimed that it is been a back door entry for migrants and non Goans. Manuel Colaco said, “We wanted to oppose the vote bank politics in the state, but the government is deleting the names of Goans from the electoral roll on the basis of acquiring Portuguese citizenship and on the other side encourages migrants to Goa”.
Meanwhile the villagers have resolved to oppose the Kabrastan that is to come up on a hill near the Raia-Margao border. The villagers claimed that the proposed area is sloppy and that the other side of the hill is touching Bareabhatt area where a perennial spring is located.
Manuel Colaco said, “We oppose the Kabrastan on the basis of an ecological point of view. The village of Raia will be badly affected if the hill is cut to 70 percent. We would also demand that the MMC should demarcate the boundary of the village since the ODP is not clear on it”. Panch Xavier Fernandes informed the members that in Chalta number 15, there are three survey numbers and hence it would be just and appropriate to have demarcation of the land before the works of the Kabrastan moves ahead.
Chaos and confusion was witnessed during the confirmation of the last gram sabha meeting. It took almost one and half hour’s for the sarpanch to control the vociferous members. Allegations and counter allegations on accepting bribes were also made on a few members and panchas.