Seraulim refuses survey over fear of being brought under Margao municipality
Margao: The gram sabha of Seraulim on Sunday questioned the purpose and need for the Naksha survey that had been announced. The meet also saw opposition to multi-dwelling units, and discussed the garbage issue faced in the village.
Questioning the need for resurveying, the gram sabha urged the panchayat not to allow the survey until the authorities addressed the doubts raised by villagers.
The panchayat secretary said that the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records had written seeking to finalise a date for a meeting to explain the survey and respond to people’s questions and concerns.
Gram sabha member Kevin D’Souza said the fear among villagers was that the village would be brought under the Margao municipality, a move that was unanimously opposed.
Members also discussed the issue of multi-dwelling units and reiterated their demand to stop them from coming up in the village, stating that such developments add pressure on the existing infrastructure.
“The multidwellings will release sewage and destroy our groundwater and it is a problem for the farmers. Our groundwater is already contaminated and the government admits it but does nothing about it. We as villagers should do something to stop multi-dwelling units,” members said.
The gram sabha also demanded the maintenance of traditional pathways and stormwater drainages. Suggestions were made to the panchayat to undertake a carrying capacity study for the village along with the village biodiversity committee instead of the government.
While discussing existing and future plans for garbage management, members urged the panchayat to install at least seven CCTV cameras in the village to curb roadside garbage dumping. The secretary said plans were underway to increase the frequency of garbage collection during the week and to start wet garbage collection in other wards of the village.
‘Survey will not benefit Davorlim locals, will only serve builder lobby’
Margao: The extraordinary gram sabha of Davorlim on Sunday unanimously rejected the public notice for a land survey announced by the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records and alleged that the survey was being carried out to benefit the builder lobby.
The gram sabha began on a heated note after several panchayat members failed to turn up, drawing strong objections from villagers. Sarpanch Menino Colaco subsequently contacted the panchayat members, following which six of the 11 members attended the meeting.
Villagers sought clarity from the panchayat on the purpose of the survey.
The sarpanch said the panchayat had not received any official communication apart from the public notice published in a newspaper. Villagers alleged that the survey was being conducted to include the village under the PDA and bring it within the jurisdiction of the Margao Municipal Council.
Villagers said that 10 to 12 years ago there had been attempts to bring the village under the MMC, which they had opposed. They said they were also opposed to the present survey, stating that it would not benefit villagers but serve the builder lobby. They further said the village would be reduced to just two wards of the MMC, leading to a loss of people’s voice.
The sarpanch said the issue would be discussed at the panchayat body meeting on January 24 and would be taken up again at the next gram sabha scheduled for February 8.
Meanwhile, villagers also rejected the amendment diluting the powers of the sarpanch and said the government should revert to maintaining the status quo. They said frequent transfers of secretaries left no accountability, and giving them a free hand defeated the purpose of governance at the grassroots level.
