NAVELIM GRAM SABHA ASKS PANCHAYAT TO STOP ISSUING RATION CARDS TO MIGRANTS

MARGAO: The gram sabha of Navelim Village Panchayat on Sunday has asked the Panchayat to write to the authorities not to accept the NOCs of house owners to issue ration card or election card to migrants.

At the meeting on Sunday, the gram sabha members expressed concern over the growing number of migrants and the issuance of ration cards and election cards based on NOCs from the house owners and demanded a stop to the nuisance.

The gram sabha members also demanded that households in the village that lease out rooms on rent to the migrants inform the police about the migrants by providing photographs for information. They contended that this would ensure security to the villagers given the rise in outsiders in the village.

The members referred to the blast in a flat at Navelim and demanded to know the reason behind the blast since the police has ruled out explosives behind the explosion.

On mega housing projects, the gram sabha members demanded that the panchayat check the height of the existing building, charging some unscrupulous builders for violating the norm to build four floors to make profit. Saying that the height of a building can be maximum 11.5 mts and can have three floors with parking facility, the members said in cases of violations, the flat buyers turn out the losers and have urged the Panchayat to write to the Town and Country Planning Department on the issue.

The contentious issue of garbage disposal was deliberated upon in detail. Members asked the panchayat to write letters to all buildings directing them not to dispose off the waste out, but to dump wet garbage in the own premises in a pit under the NREG scheme. It was also decided to inform all households, which have given rooms on rent to migrants to take care of their garbage.

The meeting also deliberated on the acquisition of a field in the village by the government for the construction of a private school. The gram sabha members objected to the land acquisition saying no public purpose is involved in the acquisition of school is a private one.

Members have called for the desilting of the River Sal in the interior of Navelim fearing flooding in the coming monsoons. Members further demanded that the panchayat body clear up all lakes and water bodies in the village as part of water harvesting.­­

On the land acquisition of fields in and around the Salpem Lake by the government for the expansion of the Margao sewerage plant, the gram sabha has asked the panchayat to write to the PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao to scrap the proceedings and return the fields to the farmers.