Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: As anticipated, trouble broke out at Sunday’s Khotigao Gramsabha which not only turned hostile over the Forest department’s alleged illegal construction in the land belonging to the Revenue department at Peeplamoll, but a section of members became vicious and came to attack another section of objecting villagers.
Amidst the stormy deliberations over the construction being carried out by the Forest department at Peeplamoll reportedly to convert it into a Checkpost which locals fear will create trouble for them in the long run, fireworks were traded between two groups. More trouble erupted when the Sarpanch taking the opinion of some members declared the questions asked over the issue of Peeplamoll illegal construction are disallowed. A group of men defending the sarpanch came up threatening to hit/assault the members who had earlier submitted the questions to the sarpanch.
At one point, after reading out a question asked by former sarpanch Umesh Gaonkar, Sarpanch Vrunda Gaonkar countered the question by asking her question that in previous two terms Umesh’s Wife and Umesh himself were the sarpanch of the village and why the question is being asked to her now. Former sarpanch Umesh Gaonkar reiterating on his questionnaire informed sarpanch instead of questioning his question, should democratically answer his question first. 2-3 members on the front row defending the sarpanch came on the face of Umesh Gaonkar, and shortly later, the same three members came to hit another member Devidas Gaonkar for asking another question. It was here the trouble out and policemen who were watching the developments from a distance had to intervene and take them back to their seats.
Police had to intervene at least 4 times to defuse the tension, being erupted during the gramsabha, as Speaker/Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar who attended the meeting as a special invitee had to intervene thrice to defuse the trouble, even as Sarpanch Vrunda Gaonkar playing counter role at times asking the members to ask questions to Forest department and not to her, and at a time announcing the questions are disallowed the gramsabha is adjourned. This led to another uproar from the members present and the meeting went on for another half an hour.
At one time to pacify the questioning members, the Speaker suggested forming a joint committee to take the issue with the forest higher-ups and the government including the Forest Minister and even to the Chief Minister. Some of the members agreeing to the suggestion demanded that at first let the Forest department stop the on-going works, before the formation of the joint committee.
Ex-Sarpanch and panch Anandu Dessai, Dy. Sarpanch Poonam Gaonkar, besides at least three other panchas were seen trying to pacify the agitated gramsabha members. Some panchas also questioned the members whether the forest department had issued any permission or NOC to the forest department to erect the forest gates already existing in the village. Sarpanch herself went on to question the members whether they have taken panchayat permissions to construct their houses. While one member Kalpesh Gaonkar was questioning the sarpanch another member submitted a paper to the sarpanch stating that the questioning member has as many illegalities in the village.
The gram Sabha however, ended on a stormy note with many members ruing the ugly behavior of a section of the members having affiliation to ruling dispensation.
Earlier, residents have submitted many questions of forest-related issues for discussion at the Gram Sabha. Forest Act, Sanctuary Act, Provisions for Tribal People in the Forest and Sanctuary Act, the Plan of the Sanctuary and its Boundaries, the jurisdiction and the role of Khotigao Panchayat, the construction in progress by the forest department at Pimplamal and the Panchayat’s lawfull rights/business related to it, the rights of those coming under the plan of Survey No. 134 and other information, besides discussion on the alleged establishment of a check post in the ward of the Sarpanch (Ward No. 6).
