Colvale locals seek inquiry into change of surnames by migrants in village

Mapusa: Colvale villagers on Sunday demanded an inquiry into the issue of change of surnames by migrants staying in the village. They also demanded that the panchayat should stop issuing caste certificate without verifying facts and that flood-affected families be compensated through panchayat under natural calamity funds.

During the ordinary gram sabha, presided over by sarpanch Nityanand Kandolkar in the presence of panchayat secretary Bhiva Thakur and others, a villager C Chodankar raised the issue of change of surnames by migrants staying in rented rooms stating that they had done so to benefit from social welfare schemes of the state government.

“There should be an inquiry into this and the panchayat should not issue any caste certificate without proper verification,” he stated.

Sarpanch Kandolkar informed the gram sabha that the “Bardez mamlatdar is conducting a survey in this regard through talathis and once the report is ready a request will be made for details pertaining to the village be shared with the panchayat.”

Another issue raised was regarding the high tension line at 20 point programme at Ramnagar in Colvale. Locals pointed out that the line passes over several houses at a very low height and, hence, they fear that it could result in any untoward incident.

They said that despite raising the issue with the electricity department and also the panchayat, no step has been taken to move the high tension line to a higher level.

The sarpanch said that the MLA has asked the electricity department to restore the high tension wire at a proper height and the work in this regard will be taken up.

The villagers also demanded that the panchayat should ask the electricity department about the problem of voltage fluctuation and power shutdowns that are effected without prior intimation.

Over the issue of some 26 illegal houses, a villager asked the panchayat about the status of notices served.

The sarpanch said that “the panchayat has filed a case against 26 illegal houses and the matter was sub-judice and, recently, the court passed an order asking competent authority to act. Then demolition notices were served.”

A villager cornered the sarpanch seeking to know why the panchayat was acting against only 26 illegal houses when there are 200 such houses in the village.

The sarpanch said that “cases were filed by the earlier body and still 57 cases of illegal constructions are pending before different courts.”

Commenting on the garbage issue, the sarpanch informed the gram sabha that the panchayat has decided to drop two labourers from door-to-door garbage collection work. “The two labourers were not doing their work properly and, hence, the decision. We have also decided to revise estimates and refloat tender for garbage collection task,” informed Kandolkar.