Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: The Lok Sabha Polls boycott threat was issued by villagers of Gaondongrim after passing a resolution in Gramsabha, over the non-distribution and diversion of rupees 15 lakhs worth of materials obtained under Water Conservation Initiative of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) has now fizzled out after the Chief Minister reportedly promised to amend with the materials distribution to the village Anganwadi post the elections.
Gaondongrim Sarpanch Yeshwant(Dhillan) Dessai informed that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has personally asked him to allow him sufficient time to amend the wrong distribution of the materials arbitrarily diverted and distributed to ‘someone else’. Since, now, not much can be done on the issue, the CM assured to resolve the issue once the General Lok Sabha elections are over. CM told me he would provide these materials to village anganwadis from whom it was originally obtained.
Under the Central government, the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana 2021-26 (PMKSY) for the Water Conservation Initiative of ‘Pani Adwa, Pani Jirva scheme, first phase expenditure of about Fifteen lakhs of rupees from which tables, steel cupboards, water-filters and Plastic Chairs were purchased from the funds for the distribution to the respective Anganwadis in the Gaondongrim panchayat area on the recommendations of the PMKSY Gaondongrim village committee consisting of Gadongrim Sarpanch as Chairman and Agriculture officers as Executive members.
The materials thus obtained were stocked at the Zonal Agriculture Office Canacona with no signs of distribution to the beneficiaries for over a year. The Sarpanch of the village as Committee Chairman Yeshwant Dessai blamed the Canacona Agriculture Office for sleeping over the materials obtained even as villagers began to demand action from the panchayat body. Inspite of bringing it to the notice of everyone in the government, Sarpanch alleged the material stocked in the Zonal office and allegedly some stocked at a few private places continues to gather dust, even as the matter rocked in every gram sabha. Last year, in the subsequent gram sabha villager, passed a resolution to boycott the 2024 slated lok sabha polls if the materials are not distributed to the allottee to whom it was purchased (11 Anganwadis of Gaondongrim).
The issue escalated further after the Agriculture department continued to ignore the locals’ concerns and reached a high point after Canacona Zonal Agriculture Office in a brief program in the month of March 2024 distributed the materials at the hands of Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar in the month of March 2024. But, the Sarpanch alleged that the materials obtained for Anganwadi are instead distributed to ‘Someone else’, and swiftly reiterated his threats to complain to the PMO to seek Prime Ministers’ personal intervention over the unprecedented issue and demanded action from Chief Minister. Villagers stating only a couple of Anganwadis are provided with only a handful of the materials have also reiterated their decision to boycott Lok sabha polls if the matter is not resolved before elections.
However, as the elections code came into effect, Chief Minister reportedly convinced some of the agitating locals and village sarpanch assuring them the first phase expenditure under the Water Conservation Initiative of ‘Pani Adwa, Pani Jirva scheme, would be suitably amended with equal distribution of the materials to the respective Anganwadis in the Gaondongrim panchayat area soon after the elections.
When contacted Sarpanch Dhillan Dessai confirmed the developments and stated that people now have decided not to boycott elections, and will instead show their anger by coming out to vote in large numbers and vote for their choice of candidate to be decided by them. ‘once the elections are over, people are also likely to discuss the issue in Gram Sabha to decide on the course of action, if the Chief Minister fails to act on his assurances on materials distribution to Anganwadis’.
