MARGAO: Concerned about the future of the village, locals of Benaulim have lashed out against the panchayat, questioning their delay in approaching the courts to ensure that the Western Bypass stretch traversing the coastal village is built on stilts, and not on embankments.
Former Sarpanch Royla Fernandes recalled that in April 2022, the Gram Sabha (GS) had demanded that the panchayat take immediate steps to file a petition in the appropriate court to stop the reclamation of fields and to demand that the bypass be constructed on stilts. The GS also formed a committee to aid the panchayat body on this matter.
Fernandes pointed out that the previous panchayat body was not proactive, and likened the new panchayat body to ‘old wine in a new bottle’, given the amount of time they are taking to safeguard the village.
Fernandes, who had personally filed a petition before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and High Court, recalled how a meeting had been conducted with her lawyer and the panchayat was advised to take a quick decision in October 2022.
She added that in December 2022, the panchayat had sought the legal advice of Adv Sreeja Chokroborty, to pursue the matter. “The panchayat verbally informed a few of us who went to follow up on the issue with the Sarpanch, that Chokroborty advised them to meet the lawyers handling my cases,” said Fernandes. She added that the villagers were pleading for urgent legal steps to be taken at the December GS meeting as well. “Committee members and farmers have been continuously visiting the panchayat, but the only assurances we are given is that they will inform us about filing the case,” said Fernandes.
“Fighting the orders in my cases in the Supreme Court, as an individual, is beyond my budget. Hence, I had been after the new Panchayat to at least take the necessary steps now,” said Fernandes.
“Is the panchayat waiting for our fields to be filled and for the village to experience irreparable damage, before they file the petition?” she questioned. She asked if the Sarpanch is still ‘studying the files’ like his predecessors have done and lamented that some of the former Sarpanchas are also present panch members and yet, they have wasted so many months, to initiate legal action.