A heated gram sabha of Neura panchayat on Sunday was dominated by issues including illegal reclamation in khazan land, non-functioning of the local biodiversity management committee (BMC), and a five-hour power outage in the village. Members were agitated over damage to the underground power cable during excavation work for a new water pipeline.
The five-hour power disruption caused significant hardship to villagers, who demanded that an FIR be filed against the contractor. Members also urged the newly elected zilla panchayat member of St Lawrence, Trupti Bacal, to take up the matter.
BMC's role criticized
At the meeting chaired by sarpanch Aditya Sawant, members criticized the BMC's role over the past four years and raised concerns over recent landfilling in an eco-sensitive area near a school. Both the panchayat building and the school itself were constructed in Neura by reclaiming a part of the khazan land that stretches from Agasaim to Carambolim. Members were irked by the BMC's silence regarding the recent reclamation near the school.
Heated discussion on NOC
A panch member stated that a local politician claimed no objection certificate (NOC) for this landfilling was not required, triggering a heated discussion. They demanded that the matter of reclamation near the rivulet of the Cumbharjua canal be pursued, and that members be informed of the action taken at the next gram sabha.
The rampant flooding of fields by sluice-gate operators was also discussed. The gram sabha concluded with members vowing to continue raising these issues until resolved.
