D ear Editor, Greetings from the Village Panchayat Members of Verna.
As you maybe aware, we the villagers of Verna have been trying to advocate for stopping and regulating the of illegal activities in relation to the land utilization done by people with vested interests in cahoots with the local panchayat body and the ministers concerned. We have, through several representations, and through the Gram Sabha raised concerns over the matter and the future of the land, water and dependent local communities, if such activities go unchecked. With minimal support from the authorities concerned, we continue to amplify our voices at the Gram Sabha hoping that our issues be taken cognizance of and therefore we have more coverage on the precarious state of affairs in VERNA. On this note we kindly request you to publish our press note with regard to the recent gram sabha held on 28th of July 2019. We thank you in advance for your continued support in advocating for our concerns at the gram sabha level. Thanks and regards, Villagers of Verna # 8975170752 _______________________________________________________ Press Release Proceedings of the Gram Sabha of the Village Panchayat of Verna held on 28/07/2019. At the Verna Gram Sabha held on 28/07/2019 members questioned the Sarpanch as to why he had lied to the Gram Sabha in the matter of granting a trade establishment license for running the business of quarrying lease for extraction of laterite rubble in survey no 150 on the Verna plateau dated 18/4/2016 which was further renewed by the Panchayat Body on 21/5/2018. Though there were several attempts made to stop the rubble extraction due the illegal and unsustainable methods deployed for extraction as well as the fact the area falls under the eco-sensitive zone being the catchment area for the entire South of Goa. However, the Sarpanch kept insisting that the Panchayat body had only given a licence for a nursery, thereby, withholding critical information from the members of the Gram Sabha despite their requests for licensing information from the Local body. At the previous meetings, the nursery license itself was questioned as to how such permissions can be granted when there is no access, no water, and the terrain hard and rocky, for which he had no answer. The members exposed the false information being told at the gram sabha members, when they shared the documents procured under RTI and it proved that the transfer and renewal of license had in fact been done by the Panchayat for the purposes of rubble extraction, not nursery and they had, in fact, no authority to grant such a license given the nature of the activity. Furthermore, the TCP department had instructed the Verna Police Station to file an FIR on the 27th of July 2018 stating that this project was illegal and unauthorised. Even after repeated reminders still no action has been initiated. Another matter which came up was related to the proposed Waste Treatment plant within the village Panchayat jurisdiction, which had been mentioned by various Ministers at the Assembly. The Panchayat body claimed they had not been informed officially but that at a body meeting, based on press reports, they had taken a resolution to oppose any such plant. Some members explained to the Gram Sabha the need to oppose it stating that the Verna plateau is dotted with water bodies, and aquifers which feed the River Sal, in fact these springs are the source of the only river that originates in Goa. Many farmers were present and expressed concern that the water and fields will be further contaminated. Bearing in mind the ecological and social hazard created at Sonsodo, and the failure of the Saligao plant the Villagers took a resolution to oppose the plant, as well as to send a representation to the concerned authorities and also to support the villagers of Bainguinim in their fight to prevent a waste treatment plant from coming up in their village. _________________________________________________________ Issued by the Villagers of Verna # 8975170752 (for more information on the Gram Sabha Proceedings) On Wed, 31 Jul 2019 at 20:06, Frederick Noronha <[email protected]> wrote: > Pls.cud u post as plain text (only within the email body, no attachments) > to [email protected] > > On Wed, 31 Jul 2019, 17:42 Anabel da Gama, <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Dear Editor, >> >> Greetings from the Village Panchayat Members of Verna. >> >> As you maybe aware, we the villagers of Verna have been trying to >> advocate for stopping and regulating the of illegal activities in relation >> to the land utilization done by people with vested interests in cahoots >> with the local panchayat body and the ministers concerned. We have, through >> several representations, and through the Gram Sabha raised concerns over >> the matter and the future of the land, water and dependent local >> communities, if such activities go unchecked. With minimal support from the >> authorities concerned, we continue to amplify our voices at the Gram Sabha >> hoping that our issues be taken cognizance of and therefore we have more >> coverage on the precarious state of affairs in VERNA. >> >> On this note we kindly request you to publish our press note with regard >> to the recent gram sabha held on 28th of July 2019. >> >> We thank you in advance for your continued support in advocating for our >> concerns at the gram sabha level. >> >> Thanks and regards, >> Villagers of Verna >> # 8975170752 >> >
