Candolim villagers at odds with Lobo over roads under ODP

CANDOLIM: Outline development plan (ODP), garbage disposal, and improper recording of minutes were the main issues that were hotly debated at Sunday’s gram sabha held at the Candolim panchayat ghar.

Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, who is also the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) chairman, who was present at the gram sabha tried to allay apprehensions in the minds of the people of Candolim over the ODP.

Lobo informed the gram sabha that as farmers are objecting to proposed 25-metre wide road through their fields (as shown in the ODP), it has been cancelled and added that widening work of the main   road will restart and people should support this development work. No business establishment or house will be affected in this road widening work, he said.

He said that all the roads leading to the beach which are presently 4-3 metre wide will be shown in the ODP as 6-metre wide, and added that no business establishment will be demolished for widening these roads, which has to be done to get the existing illegal hotels and guest houses regularised.

Sachin Kuttikar, at this point of time, objected to the MLA’s statement that the roads need to be show on the plan as 6-metre adding in the near future they may be demolished.

Villagers asked the MLA if this widening of road has been done only to benefit the hoteliers and Delhi party and not the locals as such they objected to showing of 6 to 15-metre roads in Candolim.

Roshan Mathias asked the MLA as to why notices are not served to the locals whose property has been acquired for road widening adding people are not against development and if notices are not served or people do not get anything in writing then how will they claim compensation from the government in the future.

Lobo said that people will get compensation but presently the government does not have the money to pay but the development of the road is a need of the hour if not tourist vehicles will not be able to enter the beach belt.

Damian Telles raised the issue of garbage as the garbage contractor is not doing a “proper job” of collecting door-to-door garbage adding he only moves on the main road whistling and only those people on the roadside hand over garbage while others dispose it in nullahs and open drains. He said that the panchayat needs to cover up the drains at Orda.

The sarpanch of Candolim Blaize told the gram sabha that he will look into the matter and instruct the garbage contractor to collect garbage from every house.

Telles also raised the issue of illegal mud filling going on in water bodies and in fields at Orda.

Villagers also raised the demand of underground cabling of electricity wires as they are left dangling which endangers tourists and high vehicles coming to Candolim before any untoward incident takes place.

Lobo said that first underground cabling of high tension wires will be done and by December all internal roads will be hot-mix carpeted even the main drain works in the village will be taken up within a few months time.

Villagers raised the issue of house numbers allegedly allotted by the village panchayat when no structures exist and that such illegal numbers should be revoked. The other issue that was raised was of the need to have a toilet for the benefit of fisher folk at the fish market at Candolim, steps initiated to stop water logging at Dando, a fountain built at Nagtollem etc.

The village panchayat felicitated meritorious SSC and HSSC students and outstanding sportspersons from the village at the hands of the local MLA.