Sudesh Bhosle | NT
VASCO
Chicalim panchayat, which consists of 11 wards, would witness straight fight in 4 wards, while the remaining wards would witness a triangular, four-corner and even multi-corner contests.
In all 36 candidates are in the fray for the 11 wards.
The former panch members including the administrator (sarpanch) of Chicalim Nilam Naik, Maria Mascarenhas, Anita Vaz, Kamla Prasad Yadav, Sebastiao Pereira, Hemant Fadte, Raul D’Costa, Veronica Andrade besides Ashok Naik are contesting from different wards.
Two panch members Maria Mascarenhas and Veronica Andrade and Antoneta Marida Fernandes are contesting from ward number 1.
The main issue that is being faced by the panchayat is that of garbage disposal, which has resulted in quite a few bird hits during the last couple of years.
The panchayat, although has started with door-to-door garbage collection, is facing the problem of garbage disposal in the absence of space.
The other issue has been that of discharge of sewage into a drain at Assoi Dongri, which has resulted in the contamination of a spring. The locals, there have been highly inconvenienced by the stink emanating from the sewage.
The site of the spring has also become a garbage dumping ground.
The administrator of Chicalim panchayat said that although the disposal of garbage has been a major issue for the panchayat body, presently the garbage is being dumped in a land belonging to the Chicalim comunidade.
“The Chicalim comunidade has supported us by allocating their land in the interest of the public”, she said.
She maintained that the Chicalim panchayat had asked the state government to allow it to take the garbage to the Saligao plant.
“The state government was willing to grant permission for the purpose, but due to non- availability of trucks to transport the garbage on a daily basis, we have dropped the plan to take the garbage to the Saligao plant,” she added.
However, the administrator expressed confidence in resolving the issue with the help of the state government.
The panchayat is also facing the issue of mega projects, which are on the rise, despite opposition from the villagers.
The villagers said that heritage sites including Chicalim bay, which is declared a biodiversity heritage, besides some caves in the village need urgent attention.
They said that there has been a failure on the part of the panchayat to remove the mobile tower which was erected during the time of the BRICS summit.
