ACQUISITION OF LAND AT CUTBONA OPPOSED BY VELIM GRAM SABHA

VELIM: The Velim gram sabha on Sunday resolved to appoint trained counsellors in all high schools, higher secondary schools and colleges. The members opined that trained counsellors are the need of the hour as they go a long way in guiding the students and preventing them from going into wrong hands.

The resolution was the outcome of lengthy deliberations on the increasing number of suicides occurring in the state for the reasons that may be, disclosed the sarpanch, Ms Rennie Caeiro, who chaired the meeting.

The gram sabha members also discussed that the authorities concerned should study the causes that leads to suicides and why the suicides have been increasing day-by-day and what action could be taken to prevent such unfortunate incidents in Goa.

During the deliberations on this sensitive topic, the gram sabha members felt that the copies of the resolution be sent to the Directorate of Education at both the high schools and the higher education levels, besides all the concerned departments of the state government for further action in this matter.

It was also resolved to set up a task force consisting of educationists to prepare an action plan by March 2011 to check suicides. NGOs, members of NCC, NSS etc could all work together in this task force, the gram sabha members felt.

Another important resolution that was passed was regarding the setting up of a committee to study the Draft CRZ plan. The gram sabha members unanimously also took an resolution for scrapping of the state government’s plan to acquire a prime cultivable land at Cutbona for a fish plant. Upon enquiry, the sarpanch said that a copy of the letter was received from the fisheries department which was to be sent to the land acquisition department.

The gram sabha members then told the sarpanch that the government should be told in clear terms that the villagers are opposed to the acquisition of land at Cutbona and that the villagers as well as villagers from neighbouring Velim have made it clear to the government that they will not allow any acquisition of land at Cutbona. A resolution in this respect was adopted and the copies of this resolution will be dispatched to all the concerned government departments.

It was also deliberated that crime against women, children and senior citizens is also increasing in the state and that the government should take corrective steps of prevention of crime against women, children and senior citizens.

The gram sabha members then resolved to set up a ‘Crime Prevention Education Cell’, the copies of which resolution were to be sent to the Chief Secretary, the home department, the secretariat, the Chief Minister, the education department and other government departments. Educationists, NSS, NCC and other learned persons could be members of this cell, the gram sabha members said. The gram sabha members also argued that the government should wake up to save the state from environmental dangers and all such other evils facing the state.(NT)