Demanding that the government restore ‘Any Other Business’ (AOB) on the gram sabha agenda, the Chandor Cavorim gram sabha unanimously resolved against developing the railway station in the village as a coal hub.
Stating that they had no objection to the double tracking of the railway line, the villagers however strongly objected to any plans to convert the Chandor Railway Station into a coal hub as reported in a section of the media.
The sarpanch was asked to write to the South Western Railways immediately informing them about the villagers’ objection to plans to increase the number of platforms at the station to 10 in future. The villagers were unanimous in their stand that development should not be at the cost of the village and peace of the locals.
The Sarpanch as also asked to write to the sarpanch of neighbouring Guirdolim village in whose jurisdiction the railway station actually comes under.
A villager strongly protested against the dropping of ‘AOB” from the gram sabha agenda and argued that AOB gives actual liberty and voice to the rural inhabitants. She argued that by dropping AOB, the government was seeking to suppress the voice of the people, which has been increasingly growing in dissent to the state’s policies.
Even as the panchayat informed that it had started the pre-monsoon cleaning of drains, some villagers pointed out that it was not being done properly.
There was a heated discussion on the gaddas in the market square even though their license clearly states that they should move away from the market square in the night.
The panchayat was asked to cancel the trade license issued to those violating this norm and ensure that the market square is free of any gaddas at night.
The status of State Highway No 8 was discussed at length with the villagers demanding that panchayat immediately stop the work of asphalting currently underway in the village as the tender notice was not submitted to the panchayat.
Until the tender order is submitted to the panchayat the work will not go on, said a villager, arguing that the panchayat is responsible for any development work undertaken in the village and hence has to be informed on any work that is taken up.
Chandor wants clarity on Railway station status
Members of the Chandor gram sabha, held on Sunday, have requested sarpanch Celina Furtado to write to the South Western Railways inquiring about their plans to make the Chandor railway station a ‘coal hub’ .
Furtado told that “the Chandor village panchayat will also write to the neighbouring Guirdolim panchayat regarding this matter as it falls within its jurisdiction but Chandor villagers are very concerned”.
Gram sabha members requested that the panchayat write to local MLA Clafasio Dias regarding their opposition to the notified State Highway 8 (SH8) requesting Dias to provide the panchayat with the detailed work order , he said
He added that the meeting raised the issue of the temporary blockage of the natural waterways prior to the onset of the monsoon by a private firm.
“I have asked them to remove it as per their assurance in a letter dated January 31. They replied that it would be done by May 20. If the blockage is not cleared by then, the panchayat will write to the firm holding it entirely responsible for any eventuality occurring in the village,” Furtado said.