NT NETWORK
VASCO
The Quelossim villagers on Sunday demanded with the state government to reserve seats for the ST community in the state legislative assembly and also in the Parliament as there is a large ST population in Goa.
The villagers said that the ST population in the village is 2,828.
They demanded with the government to conduct a resurvey of the ST population in the village and rectify the ST population figure.
They also lamented that despite of a large ST population in state, no seats are reserved in the state legislative assembly and Parliament.
In another resolution, the villagers sought that the industrial units which come under the panchayat jurisdiction (IDC Verna) should be given first preference to the locals while recruiting the staff.
Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha also attended the gram sabha meeting.
The demand for recruiting locals in various industries was raised by Lopinho Xavier.
He said that the panchayat should make a list of industries which come under its jurisdiction at IDC Verna and should seek employment for the unemployed
youth.
“The panchayat should also ask the industries to inform as and when the vacancies are available with them,” he said.
He demanded the panchayat to revoke the provisional NOC granted for Mini India Project as it was issued by the erstwhile Cortalim- Quelossim panchayat.
While responding to the issue, sarpanch Maria Souza said that the matter is sub-judice and panchayat cannot intervene in the matter.
The gram sabha members said that they do not want the Mini India project in Quelossim, and there is no harm in adopting a resolution opposing the project.
The issue pertaining to Kesarval spring was also discussed in the gram sabha.
It was demanded that the state government should give right to the panchayat for maintaining the spring which is in a bad condition.
The gram sabha members elected village level development committee and approved several development
proposals.