MARGAO
The Blue Flag Certification for Cavelossim beach came in for strong opposition at the gram sabha of Cavelossim village Panchayat with members in one voice rejecting the central government’s proposal.
At the gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Desmond Dias on Sunday, members expressed concern that locals will be charged to visit their own beach. They also raised fears that that the fishing community may not be allowed to use the beach for their traditional occupation or keep the traditional boats in the marked zone.
Sarpanch Desmond pointed out that the Union Environment Ministry has selected 12 beaches in India to contend for a ‘Blue Flag’ certification. “The local populace is afraid that blue flag certification for the Cavelosism will not benefit the locals at all. Hence, the members have vehemently opposed the Blue Flag certification for the Cavelossim beach”, he added.
This not the first time that the Blue Flag Certification has come in for opposition from the Cavelosism Panchayat, which had in the past written letters to the authorities objecting to the certification.
The gram sabha also discussed the Coastal Zone Management Plan at the meeting, wherein the members unanimously demanded and resolved to request the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority to re-survey the CRZ area by taking all the villagers into confidence.
The stray dog menace also came to haunt the panchayat. Members pointed out that the stray dog population has increased, posing dangers to the visitors on the beach belt.
They have asked the panchayat to work out a solution to keep the stray dogs at bay.
LOUTOLIM
Focus on how to tax industrial estate and ship repair yards
MARGAO: The gram sabha of Loutolim village panchayat on Sunday discussed a host of issues, including the contentious issue to bring the industrial units at the Verna Industrial Estate and the ship repair yards under the tax net.
The meeting chaired by Sarpanch Tony Vaz saw members demanding to know the steps initiated by the Panchayat to get the industrial units and the ship repair yards under the tax net.
Member Ramiro Mascarenhas, who had tabled the question at the meeting, pointed out that the panchayat has been losing huge amount of revenue by way of trade tax from the industrial units and the ship repair yards operating in the jurisdiction of the village panchayat.
Mascarenhas contended that if the ship repair yards are raking in crores of rupees business every year, they should be told to pay the taxes to the Panchayat as well.
He also picked up holes in the budget prepared by the Panchayat body and wondered how the Panchayat is spending the money when the gram sabha has not given approval for the budget. Gram sabha member Joaquim Gracias also raised the issue of the annual budget, saying the budget was deferred to be passed within 15 days, which has not been done till date.
The gram sabha also adopted the resolution demanding that the missing link road should not be thrown open for traffic without implementing the remedial measures.
The issue figured at the gram sabhaafter members pointed out that the remedial measures recommended after the inspection of the missing link by PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar and local MLA Wilfred D’Sa has not been implemented till date. Members asked the Sarpanch to write a letter to the PWD Minister on the matter.
The issue over the Ready Mix concrete plant that has come up on the village jurisdiction also figured at the meeting, with members demanding that the panchayat write to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Town Planner on the questions of permissions issued to the unit.
NAVELIM
Members raise pitch for height of underpass & bypass on stilts
MARGAO: Navelim Gram sabha members in one voice demanded the increase in the height of the western bypass underpass on the Navelim-Sinquetim road, even as they opposed any road digging at the site to achieve the height of 5.5 meters.
The gram sabha members also demanded that the government stick to its promise of building the bypass on stilts on the stretch passing through the picturesque Salpem lake.
Members also demanded an underpass at the western bypass junction at Coldem when the bypass meets the National Highway 66, resulting in traffic bottlenecks.
These issues figured at the Navelim gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Bevinda Gonsalves as agitated members questioned over the failure of the authorities to increase the underpass height to 5.5 meters.
They pointed out that the proposal to dig up the existing road to achieve the 5.5 meter height is not acceptable to the villagers.
The Navelim MLA who attended at the meeting after being invited by the Panchayat recalled that former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had promised to build the bypass on stilts on the stretch passing through the to save the water body from destruction. In fact, he said the centre has sanctioned Rs 175 crore for the construction of the bypass on stilts, adding that the people should now come on the roads to launch an agitation demanding the bypass on stilts.
Bevinda said the panchayat had in the past had taken up the matter with the district authorities along with the adjoining Telaulim panchayat and local MLA. “We had impressed upon the authorities that the underpass height should not be less than 5.5 meters and that the PWD should not achieve the height by digging up the road, fearing water logging”, she said.
The Sarpanch said a committee has now been constituted to pursue the matter with the authorities to increase the bridge height to 5.5 meters and to get the mud removed from the lake.
The Sarpanch said the gram sabha has objected to the 21 Bills passed by the government on the last day of the three-day session.
Asked to comment on the claim made by gram sabha members that illegal housing colonies have come up at Moddi, the Sarpanch said the Panchayat has asked for a joint inspection with the BDO officials, saying the panchayat would not allow any illegalities in eco-sensitive areas.
Former Sarpanch Schubert Furtado brought to the notice of the Chair that the gram sabha had in the past objected to the proposed Sinquetim-Benaulim bridge.
SERAULIM
Halla bol on illegal vendors occupying a stretch of road
MARGAO: The Seraulim gram sabha has decided to write to the district Collector to crack the whip against illegal vendor squatting on the stretch of the Colva-Margao road passing through the village.
At the gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Leslie Dourado on Sunday, members pointed out to the mushrooming of illegal vendors along the Colva-Margao road passing through the village and called for action.
The Sarpanch informed that the panchayat would write to the district Collector to initiate action against the illegal vendors.
The issue of revision of house tax had come up for discussion, but the Sarpanch pointed out that the panchayat has decided not to go for house tax revision at least for the moment.
The issue over the delay in the construction of the underpass at the Seraulim railway crossing was also raised at the gram sabha. Members pointed out that work on the project has not yet started at the crossing.
The sarpanch pointed out that work on the underpass construction would start soon, adding that the authorities are preparing the ground work to execute the project.
Members also requested that the Panchayat take up spraying to keep vector borne diseases at bay in the village.
