CANDOLIM: Candolim gram sabha on Sunday witnessed a ruckus over garbage, stray cattle, loud music and sopo issues. The gram sabha was held at the village panchayat hall.
The villagers requested the panchayat to remove the garbage bins installed to collect garbage along the roadside. The villagers said that the bins are being misused by hoteliers and residents from a neighbouring village, besides the stray animals feeding on the garbage from the bins and creating a mess.
The villagers also pointed out that the garbage contractor was still dumping garbage at the old site when the garbage plant is in operation.
They also pointed out that the drains needed to be covered with slabs as open drains have turned into dumping spots and, hence, they are choked.
A suggestion was put forth to have a monitoring committee to keep a check on the garbage contractor.
One of the villagers raised the issue of sopo and suggested that the village panchayat should have sealed tenders during auctioning. The villagers alleged that the sopo contractor was threatening the vendors while collecting the tax. The sarpanch said that complaints have come to the village panchayat and necessary action would be taken.
The villagers also raised the issue of stray cattle and requested the village panchayat to construct a cattle pound.
The issue of a casino operating in the village was also raised and a resolution was passed to stop its operation. Sarpanch Sandra Fialho said that the panchayat has not given any permission to the casino to operate in the village. She said that the panchayat had written to the owner to stop the activities. The owner however has moved the court and the matter is now sub-judice, it was stated.
Other issues discussed at the gram sabha were loud music menace and vehicle parking on both sides of the road.
The villagers objected to the national highway and district road passing through the village citing that this would cause problems to the business community.
The panchayat read out the budget for the year 2017-18 in which the opening balance has been shown as Rs 25,264,165, receipt balance Rs 53,206,265, expenditure Rs 32,795,000 and closing balance as Rs 20,411,265.