Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bhoma-Adcolna village panchayat was instructed by the Bombay High Court in Goa to submit a comprehensive affidavit within the next two weeks concerning the distribution of shops to Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities, while also maintaining the status quo in the allocation of shops in the rebuilt market complex at Bhoma-Adcolna.
At its monthly meeting on October 15, 2024, the Bhoma-Adcolna panchayat decided to reserve only five stores for ST communities and held an auction for the remaining stores. The Court determined that this action violated the Directorate of Tribal Welfare’s affidavit.
According to the Directorate of Tribal Welfare’s affidavit, it was suggested that 64 stores be built in place of the 37 that were already there in the market complex that was rebuilt for the Bhoma-Adcolna Panchayat at Banastarim.
Of these 64 stores, 27 more stores were to be set aside for members of the ST communities. 275 ST merchants would also be able to use the open areas of the rebuilt market complex, according to the idea. The Project Appraisal Committee has suggested and approved this plan.
Adv Rohit Bra De Sa argued on behalf of Tukaram Bhagwant Gaude, the petitioner, that grants from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs were used to rebuild the panchayat’s market complex for the benefit of the tribal population. But the panchayat didn’t take this into account.
The Directorate of Tribal Welfare’s affidavit and the Bhoma-Adcolna panchayat’s resolution, which only set aside five stores for ST communities while auctioning off the remaining stores on the first floor of the new market complex at Banastarim for the general public, were completely at odds, Adv. De Sa told the court.
The next hearing on the subject is scheduled for January 28.
