-- Samir Umarye Sal village which is along the Goa- Maharashtra border at Dodamarg is one of the picturesque villages attracting the tourists with several guesthouses.
A small village with just seven wards, Sal is rich in natural resources including water as many villagers are still into agriculture. The elected panch members include Ramnath Baikar, Pranali Naik; Aapa Raut; Ganesh Raut; Ajjan Naik; Ghanasham Raut and Deepa Raut. The panchayat is facing a host of problems with the bandhara issue being the long pending one. The inauguration of bridge for the light motor vehicles over the bandhara connecting Sal to Ibrampur- Pernem made it famous. But the popularity of the spot has been a cause for concern for the villagers as they feel insecure in their village. The gram sabha had in the past taken several resolutions to stop people from entering the waters at the bandhara which continues till date. “ On several occasions we wrote letters to the Chief Minister and the higher authorities to stop the picnickers from coming here. But they have failed to act against them. A part of the bandhara comes under the jurisdiction of Ibrampur panchayat and we feel that they should act in this regard,” Sal sarpanch Ghanasham Raut informed. The villagers also complain that the agriculture department and the forest department have not taken any steps to minimize the bison and monkeys menace as these animals have destroyed the fields. “ There have been several instances when our fields have been destroyed by bison, monkeys and peacocks and despite complaining to the Agriculture Department nothing has happened,” complained Deelip Desai, a farmer. Another major problem the panchayat faces, especially after the famous Gade festival is that of garbage. During the three- day festival thousands of people throng this village and litter the area with the garbage and the panchayat finds it difficult to clear the same. What has further irked the villagers is the recent increase in the fees for obtaining several NOCs. “ They have increased the fees for NOCs which is almost 150 times” Gajanan Raut, informed adding that “ We don’t know the reason behind this and it was done without taking us into confidence.” As per the information the income certificate fees have been hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 50. NOC for water and electric connection has been increased from Rs 50 to Rs 500. Besides this, the villagers have now to pay Rs 500 as house transfer fees, house tax bifurcation fees and business NOC fees. The fees for issuing of residence, marriage, house repair and other certificates too have been hiked. Sal, which is still away from the town, has now slowly started developing and at several places the land has been developed into plots. The same is being sold to non- Goans, which has raised several eyebrows in the village. PANCH NAMA Sal village SAMIR UMARYE BICHOLIM