Team Goemkarponn
VELSAO: Social worker and former Velsao Panch member Roquezinho D’Souza has urged the Goa Government to permanently shelve the Ward Urbanisation proposal, saying the issue should be closed once and for all to prevent uncertainty among villagers.
Speaking to reporters after a tree plantation drive in Velsao on Sunday, D’Souza, who was the first to file an objection against the Ward Urbanisation Notification, said the proposal should not be reintroduced in the future.
He said the memorandum-cum-notification was issued on June 4 and reached the Velsao Panchayat on June 5. According to D’Souza, similar circulars were also sent to other village panchayats in Mormugao taluka, but most panchayats failed to inform residents or initiate public discussions on the issue.
D’Souza said he consulted advisors, engaged a lawyer, collected supporting documents and filed his objection on June 24 after nearly 12 days of effort. He claimed that it was only after his objection, backed by documentary evidence, gained public attention that the issue spread across nearly 35 villages, leading to widespread opposition.
He thanked Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate for promptly withdrawing the notification after objections were received, saying the government acted swiftly to prevent the issue from escalating.
D’Souza also noted that a similar proposal had surfaced in 2020 before being withdrawn and said its recurrence in 2026 had created unnecessary concern among villagers.
He stressed that if the government intends to introduce similar proposals in the future, it should first seek the opinion of villagers through gram sabhas. He also urged panchayats to immediately inform residents whenever such notifications are received and to seek legal advice if required, rather than remaining silent.
D’Souza warned that a lack of transparency by panchayats could ultimately leave villagers to face the consequences of decisions taken without public consultation.
