Arpita Srivastava | NT
MAPUSA
Regularisation of illegal houses on communidade land, helping people affected due to closure of mining, renting out of houses are few issues which the Sirsaim villagers have been facing for years and waiting for relief.
The villagers have been raising the issue of regularisation of houses built on communidade land at various platforms. Sources claim that more than 75 per cent houses are on communidade land and are waiting to be regularised.
Along with former MLA, villagers had met senior BJP leader demanding to regularise houses but despite assurance, villagers are waiting for government to take a decision.
Former sarpanch Anand Temkar said, “When I was sarpanch, I had taken a delegation to our senior BJP leader along with our former MLA and we were assured that necessary law would be made and now also I’m confident since our government regularisation will be done.”
While sarpanch Gokuldas Kanolkar said, “The matter is sub judice and also government is working on it hence I would not like to comment anything but I will count on the work and the rapport that I have built with my villagers.”
Another major issue that villagers are facing is closure of mining. Sirsaim village is only village in Bardez which was affected due to closure of mining and many people had lost their daily bread and no employment sources are left with the villagers facing hardship.
Beside unemployment, another major concern is renting out of rooms to migrants due to which villagers claim that crime rate is on the rise. Villagers during gram sabha had demanded tenant verification as many migrants are given rooms on rent without having proper document.
The seven-member panchayat prior to assembly election was with BJP but immediately after the assembly results things changed drastically in the village and lot of switches were witnessed as a result the panchayat came under Congress.
The ruling panel which is led by sarpanch Gokuldas Kanolkar is confident of winning five seats as they have fielded candidates in all seven wards. Kanolkar is contesting from ward no 2 which is general and his wife Gitisha Kandolkar is contesting from ward no 3 which is reserved for OBC women.
While opposition group is contesting in only five wards, some independents are also in fray.
Sirsaim panchayat is seven-member panchayat wherein 27 candidates are contesting panchayat election. Out of seven wards only in ward one straight fight is expected while in remaining wards it would be either four-corner or multi-corner fight. The decision maker for upcoming election would be Bhandari community which will decide the fate of the candidates. The voting population is around 2297 as women voters are more compared to males which are 1155 and 1142 voters respectively.
The ruling panel is counting on the individual performance of sitting ward numbers who claim that they have maintained good relations and done works in their respective wards. The opposition group is counting on the various state schemes and assurance of the state government which was given to all villagers.
