MAPUSA: The Verla-Canca panchayat held its first gram sabha in the new term on Sunday. The gram sabha was presided over by the sarpanch Milton Marques, deputy sarpanch Vrushali Arlekar, secretary Lency Dias and other panch members.
The gram sabha was also attended by zilla panchayat member Vasudev Korgaonkar, and officials of electricity department and water resources department.
During the meeting, the villagers were informed about the works which would be taken in the village such as construction of underground sump at Pintowaddo, outsourcing of garbage management and other development works.
Marques said that the panchayat will be introducing a system for online payment of various taxes by tying up with the ICICI
Bank.
He informed that, “The panchayat will undertake a beautification project wherein the road from Bodgeshwar till the boundary of Parra and the road from Canca Circle till Lotlikar Bar will be widened. Both the roads will have footpaths and drainage, and would be illuminated. We will also take up the beautification of a church and Sai Baba
temple.”
The villagers demanded with the panchayat to undertake construction of drains, adding lack of a drainage system is resulting in submerging of roads during the monsoon.
The sarpanch said that “a proposal for the construction of drains in Siolim and hot-mix carpeting of all roads in Verla-Canca has already been approved by the government and the work is likely to start end October.”
The villagers raised concern over the erratic supply of electricity and demanded that the electricity department should resolve the issue.
The sarpanch informed that a new substation is being built at Badem which will help resolve the
issue.
He said that the substation is expected to take another two years for its completion.
The assistant engineer of the electricity department Chandran assured the villagers that the department will resolve the issue soon.
The sarpanch said that the panchayat will undertake verification of the houses which have been rented out.
The panchayat has also proposed to take up construction of a community hall through DRDA on the first floor of panchayat
building.