PORVORIM: Amid the widespread damage caused by falling trees, Ruling MLAs Chandrakant Shetye and Delilah Lobo said the Rs 50,000 grant to municipalities and Rs 25,000 grant to Village Panchayats, to cut dangerous trees, was not enough. Maem MLA Premendra Shet too said that it takes about Rs 28,000 to cut just one tree. Therefore ex-gratia sanction should be done and the amount of Rs 5 lakh allocated for the entire taluka with four to five constituencies was not enough.
Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye said that in just one day on Thursday, 22 trees had fallen in Bicholim causing damage. Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate said the Municipality of Village Panchayat had to identify these trees and take permission from the Deputy Collector to cut the trees. The Deputy collector has to hear both parties and then decide. CM said that the amount for tree cutting had been increased, in the long run he would consider the demand to increase the amount for tree cutting for panchayats and municipalities.