NT NETWORK
SARZORA
The gram sabha of the Sarzora village panchayat held on Sunday saw bedlam over the alleged inclusion in electoral rolls the names of migrants who do not have house numbers.
Sarpanch Sabita Mascarenhas assured the agitated villagers, who demanded a thorough investigation in the mater, that the panchayat will write to the state election commission to investigate the alleged inclusion of migrants’ names in the electoral rolls.
The first gram sabha of the newly-elected body witnessed a large turnout with over 100 members attending the meeting.
Drawing the attention of the panchayat, the villagers questioned as to how the names of the members of 15 families have been included in the electoral rolls.
Doubting the legal status of the houses of these migrant families, they demanded a reply from the chair.
Replying to villagers’ persistent questions, the sarpanch said that a plot at Barciem-Modi measuring around 3300 square metres had been sold and subdivided into small plots on which these people have built their houses.
The panchayat has no record of their house numbers, and the number provided is just the survey number, she clarified.
Mascarenhas said that it came to the notice of the panchayat that some illegal constructions were being carried out, and hence the panchayat immediately asked the parities to stop the work.
She assured the villagers that the panchayat will write to the state poll panel and other competent authorities to investigate the matter, even as the villagers demanded action against these illegal structures.
When the villagers asked whether the palms were greased for the inclusion of the migrants’ names in the electoral rolls, Mascarenhas promised that village body will write to the police and other departments to investigate the matter and will let the villagers know about its status at the next gram sabha.
The gram sabha passed a resolution not to grant permission for any mega construction project without placing the files before the gram sabha.
The villagers pointed to the illegal land filling and the land development, which have been raising their ugly heads in the village.
The sarpanch said the panchayat will put up a board at the site warning against the illegal land filling.
Furthermore, the gram sabha opposed panchayat’s proposal on throwing open a lake at Sarzora for public by charging a nominal fee, saying that if the lake is made a tourist spot then it will bring in anti-social elements.
On the construction of new panchayat ghar, the gram sabha was informed that the Panchayat Minister has assured to expedite the work for the panchayat ghar by December 2017.
The gram sabha also gave its nod for widening internal roads leading to the school and the church.
The gram sabha also gave its nod for constructing a children’s park by utilising the funds released under golden jubilee of Goa’s Liberation from the Portuguese.