Team Herald
MARGAO: Curtorim gram sabha members hit out at the panchayat body and accused it of being a ‘builder-friendly’.
This followed heated discussions on mega projects and the existing 19 cases of alleged illegal constructions which haven’t been disposed of since last year, according to the villagers.
Earlier, after the confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting, the garbage tax proposal of the panchayat was unanimously opposed on the grounds that the proposed tax addition came without an addition of services.
Former Curtorim Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Member Moreno Rebelo then questioned the panchayat body about what reply the District Collector’s office had given them regarding the objection raised for opposing the conversion of 67,000 sq mtrs of Non-Developmental Slope (NDS) to Settlement Zone in a specific survey number, to which the Sarpanch replied they hadn’t received any answer yet.
Based on this, Rebelo urged the gram sabha to pass a resolution to oppose the said conversion and pass the resolution copy to the State Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, which the gram sabha members agreed to do.
Rebelo also asked the gram sabha to pass a resolution to amend the law and thereby forward any subdivision of plots proposal to the Panchayat first instead of the TCP. He also highlighted the lack of clarity about what the existing Leprosy Land of 1,00,000 sq mtrs in survey numbers 161/2, 158/1, and 157/1 will be used for, as the land was acquired by the Home Department of State to set up an India Reserve Battalion (IRB) facility.
Rebelo questioned the Panchayat about what facilities the new Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), costing Rs 17 crores, would contain, the sarpanch had no answer. The former ZP member addressed the media after the meeting got over.