GBA empowers villagers on Goa Liberation Day
The GBA, led from the front by Co-Convener Sabina Martins and Secretary Reboni
Saha, made a presentation at Cansaulim Village Panchayat and Gram Sabha on how
to read a plan and what to look for in the draft Village Plan given to each
Panchayat on 22 November, 2008. The was preceded by hoisting of the national
tricolour and followed by a presntation by Julio D'Silva on the village
planning done by Chandor Village as well as a demonstration by Mr. Prabhudesai
of ICAR on vermicomposting for garbage management.
The GBA presentation was based on the DRP 2021 Plan for South Goa district
[Map B2], map for and maps for Cansaulim village in DRP 2021 and RP 2011, as
well as a Digital Globe image of the village, was followed by an interaction
with the participants from the villages and GBA team. From the village of
Terekhol in Pernem to the village of Agonda in Canacona, the villagers have
noticed the differences between what the DRP 2021 shows and what they can
actually see on the ground. Earlier today, the GBA also made a presentation on
the DRP 2021 to the Village Committee of Velsao.
Garbage and the Draft Regional Plan 2021 are perceived as bigger threats to
the village of Cansaulim-Arossim-Cuelim than the terrorists from LeT. The
villagers are arming themselves with information to defend themselves against
these twin threats. They want compost pits for the garbage and sand dunes to
protect their beachfront, not in bunkers on their beaches. In liberated Goa,
the people also want the power at the Panchayat level to plan for themselves as
guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
In the afternoon, the GBA held a meeting of volunteers, both old and new, to
plan a strategy for the future. Empowered by the interpretation of the law
given by Mr. T. Raghunathan, Joint Secretary [Panchayats] in the Government of
India, and the interaction with Mr. Vinod Kumar of MAITHRI-Kerala, the GBA
members are guiding the villagers on what can be done at the village levels.
Villagers do not want to sacrifice land to provide ten metre wide “Main Village
Roads” so that the builders can get “commercial” zoning for apartment blocks in
their villages using the ten metre roads as their access. The existing five or
six metre wide village roads are good enough for the villagers. They do not
want broad roads that have already become difficult for pedestrians to cross in
Panaji and other major towns. They also do not want vehicles zooming at high
speeds on broader village roads that are proposed in the DRP 2021.
The GBA represents the voice of the people. This is quite clear from the
support that the GBA has received in the villages across Goa during the
December, 2008, as it did in December, 2006. The village level contacts and
presentations will continue as requests continue to pour in.
Mog asundi
Miguel
Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo! India Messenger at
http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/?wm=n/
