Navelim gram sabha resolves to take up the demand with department of post and state government
Margao: A gram sabha of the Navelim village panchayat on Sunday resolved to write to the department of post to ensure that staff deployed in the village post office compulsorily have knowledge of Konkani.
The gram sabha also unanimously passed a resolution urging the government to withdraw the controversial amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act, which could have adverse impact on environment vis-à-vis climate change.
It has come to the notice that the staff deployed in the village post office do not speak Konkani, and expect villagers to respond in languages known to them, the people attending the gram sabha complained.
The villagers pointed out that while it is mandatory for people to know Konkani for applying for government jobs, the same yardstick is not followed while employing staff in post offices.
The villagers demanded that the matter be taken up with the department of post and state government departments to ensure that the staff deployed mandatorily have knowledge of Konkani and should communicate in Konkani as the preferred language.
The gram sabha started with an awareness programme on climate change by Celly Quadros as part of the World Biodiversity Day celebrations.
A power point presentation was made on adverse impact of climate change, which could spell trouble for the flora and fauna of Goa.
The villagers also raised concerns over the controversial amendment to the TCP Act, which could bring about more destruction.
They urged the government to withdraw the same so as to protect the flora and fauna. The gram sabha also unanimously resolved to levy `50 per month for garbage collection which will be taken up once a week instead of every fortnightly.
The gram sabha attendees however demanded that rooms rented to migrant labourers be charged `75 per unit as a majority of these structures are illegal and yet enjoy all the facilities in the village.
The gram sabha also decided to write to the Centre demanding amendments to the biodiversity laws so as to ensure punishment to the perpetrators who destroy biodiversity resources of an area.
Speaking at the gram sabha, Eleterio Carneiro said there is a provision to penalise for theft. However, there are no penal provisions in case the biodiversity of an area gets destroyed due to pollution and sabotage.
Hence biodiversity laws need to be amended, Carneiro said.
In a related development, a gram sabha of the Ambelim panchayat also unanimously passed a resolution demanding that no changes be made to the Regional Plan on individual or selective pieces of land without consulting the people of Goa.
The Ambelim villagers demanded that all eco-sensitive zones should be protected at any cost.
The gram sabha said that no changes must be made to the Regional Plan in the guise of correcting errors in the same.
There must be proper consultations with villagers, if changes needed to be made, they demanded.