Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA – Showcasing the rich Customary and tribal practices are still alive, and ethical artefact ‘Saap-Kathi’, believed to keep snakes away from houses, is gifted to Governor Shreedhar Pillai during his Goa Sampurna Yatra to Poinguinim village on Wednesday.
Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC), Poinguinim Chairman Subhash Mahale presented ‘Saap-Kathi’ (a magical wand (stick) when kept inside the House, believed to keep snakes away) to Governor Shreedharan Pillai soon after his interaction with the four panchayat members.
Saap-Kathi’ is a traditional artefact prepared by the Chari clan (Mest) of Poinguinim (Mahalawada), Loliem village (Idhar) and Gaondongrim (Kudewada) from a plant called Pandhare found in thick forests of Khotigao and Gaondongrim. Many people, especially the households which are constantly under attack from poisonous snakes entering their residences, are known to keep a piece of Saap-Kathi hanging to a wall inside the House to keep the snakes away.
‘This artefact of Canacona and especially of Poinginnim where people are known to use it in their homes as a traditional shield from Snakes. If we keep it in House, the snakes don’t enter in your house”, Mahale informed.
Meanwhile, during Governor’s interaction with the four panchayats, Loliem-Polem Sarpanch Sachin Naik, Panch Ajay Lolienkar and Bhushan Prabhugaongkar requested the Governor to resume the payments of Octroi due from the last 7-8 years. ‘we used to about 45 lakhs octroi annually towards the 3-petrol pumps located in the village, but since 8 years ago it has been stopped. This has hindered many developmental works in the village’, Sarpanch Naik informed Governor, along Poinguinim panchayat has sought to set up non-polluting industries to regenerate sufficient employments to the village youths.
Poinguinim panch Bipin Prabhudessai spoke on behalf of the village body.
Khotigao Sarpanch Daya Gaonkar, who was present along with 3 other panch members, informed the Governor of no network connectivity in the village, roads and electricity to Keri and sought the Governor’s intervention to settle Kumeri Land issues once and for all.
Gaondongrim Sarpanch Anjali Velip, besides highlighting a horde of issues bugging the village, sought government assistance for taking up the reconstruction of Mallikarjun and Bhumipurush temples in the village.