Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: Amidst raising of burning issues, villagers turn the heat on the Sarpanch of Khotigao Village Panchayat for the shoddy monsoon works, missing documents and the rampant corruption at the Gramsabha held on Sunday.
It is the first time in the history of the Khotigao panchayat, known as the backward village, situated in the rural part of Canacona, throughout the three hours long deliberations of the Gramsabha (10.30 am to 1.30 pm), members present raised burning unabated and without any respite as the Sarpanch Anandu Dessai either no response or the given replies charged the atmosphere hot and awkward.
Many members were in no mood to oblige as several members raised the issue of forming various committees had been futile as these committees failed to work for the purpose they were formed for.
These committees should have been working on five major issues, namely the public and forest-related committee, biodiversity committee, health committee, education committee and agriculture committee in this panchayat area, but not a single committee is working in this place’ members shouted.
‘In Khotigao panchayat area, many things related to handicrafts and eco-friendly can be done in a community set-up, and after taking notice of it, this panchayat was given a special award by the Goa tourism department, but the panchayat went on to block projects like manufacturing eco-friendly jaggery, and others’, members stated.
Every year, the panchayat makes subsequential monsoon expenses for cleaning both sides of the road, but even after this expenditure, the work of clearing the trees on both sides and cleaning the drains to open up drainages to enable the rainwater floodgates has not been done. The panchayat had laid cement footings on the roads at many places by making expenditures of lakhs of rupees, but the pipes burst within two days and many people were also injured.
A storm blew up over the building of ‘Deva Bhaim (Well) in Baddem ward with villagers alleging it was not built at the original place, but panchayat was wronged by building the Well at a new place.
Khotigao Gramsabha has taken a resolution against the Forest Department’s practice of slaughtering forest trees/plants in the name of new plantations, stating such practice is ecologically very dangerous and the Forest Department should stop the practice of cutting trees and chopping off Forest plantations.
Villagers made a strong demand for the immediate commencement of the Watershed project of about 70 lakhs at Kuskem pending since 2022.
It was also demanded that panchayat should first five emphasis on repairing the various Canals coming for agriculture in the village under the Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Stating Khotigao panchayat is known as the poorest panchayat among all the panchayats in Canacona taluka, members expressed their views that the panchayat should take initiative to do small businesses or carry out some tourism activities to raise people’s economic conditions.
Many villagers including Kalpesh Gaonkar, Devidas Gaonkar, Umesh Gaonkar, Sudhakar Gaonkar, Mahesh Gaonkar, Jeevanand Desai, and Paik Velip participated in a discussion in this Gram Sabha. On this occasion, Deputy Sarpanch Poonam Gaonkar, Panch member Krishna Gaonkar, Vrunda Velip, and Jayesh Gaonkar were present on the dais along with the Sarpanch Anandu Dessai while an officer from the Block Development Officer was present as observer besides Panchayat Secretary.
