IAS officer’s role at gram sabha raises questions on govt motive


MARGAO
Former Minister Mickky Pacheco has expressed his shock and surprise that an IAS officer posted as Salcete Block Development Officer was deputed at the extra ordinary gram sabha meeting of the Betalbatim village panchayat as the meeting was scheduled to discuss the mega housing projects in the village.

Suspecting hanky-panky, Mickky wondered whether the Delhi builder’s lobby, which has purchased properties along Goa coastal belt, and who are keen in developing the properties despite opposition from the local populace, were instrumental in getting an IAS officer to head the Salcete Block Development office.

Addressing the media, Mickky said questions were fielded by the gram sabha members to the sarpanch or the secretary on the mega housing projects, the talking was done by the BDO, Pallavi Mishra, IAS. “The gram sabha members had all come to convey their sentiments to the panchayat body headed by the sarpanch and the local villagers are opposed to the mega housing projects. To their utter surprise, they all found an IAS officer insisting that the panchayat has limited powers to stop construction projects,” he said.

He added: “Never ever in the history of a gram sabha that a BDO officer that too an IAS officer had come as an observer and was doing the talking on the law. The BDO kept insisting that the panchayat has no powers to stop construction projects and the right authority is the legislature to bring changes in the law. All this made me and other gram sabha members to wonder whether the Delhi lobby is behind the government decision to post an IAS officer at Salcete as a BDO to puncture the agitations in the villages against mega housing projects.”

Countering the BDO that the panchayat has no powers to stop construction project, the former Minister said that the panchayat body is the final authority in respect of issuing construction licences.