Sancoale gram sabha members demanded that the panchayat ghar project be taken up on priority during the gram sabha meeting on Sunday. Villagers raised a series of issues, from garbage management to sopo tax and the desilting of Bandolem Lake from Sancoale panchayat.
The Sancoale village gram sabha meeting witnessed hundreds of gram sabha members actively participating in the meeting this Sunday. Locals questioned the panchayat body about the pending panchayat ghar project issue.
A villager pointed out that thrice the foundation stone was put up to start the panchayat ghar, but despite the availability of land and the Goa government allotting Rs3.5 crore to the panchayat, the project has not taken off.
Gram sabha members were also not happy with the fact that the panchayat is paying around Rs36,000 rent per month for the rented premises where the panchayat is operating presently.
Villagers also pointed out that other panchayats have a vehicle for garbage collection and that Sancoale panchayat should sort out the garbage issue.
A villager also pointed out that their fields are becoming polluted due to plastic and all sorts of non-biodegradable waste which is being dumped by people staying in the Birla area. He also demanded that the panchayat should look into this matter.
The Bandolem Lake cleaning issue also came up during the meeting. The lake, which is one of the main water bodies in the village, was supposed to receive a makeover but has remained neglected.
One of the villagers also questioned why the Sancoale panchayat did not have a sopo tax collection mechanism when the other panchayats collect the same from the vendors.
Later, Girish Pillai, Deputy Sarpanch of Sancoale, informed reporters that the panchayat ghar project is in the final stage of approval and once the government procedure is complete, the work will begin. He also said that within 15 days, the panchayat along with the health department officials will carry out the inspection of the lake and will consider desilting it.
Tulsidas Naik, a panch member, said that Sancoale panchayat has totally failed in tackling the garbage issue. The garbage management system is not in place, and recently there a fire broke out at the MRF facility at Sancoale where wet garbage is stored. Naik mentioned that he smelt a rat in the recent fire at the facility and alleged the involvement of some miscreants. He demanded a thorough inquiry into this matter.