OLDGOA: Stating that the locals at village levels had to be more concerned about Secretaries’ Sarpancha’s or Pancha’s asking for Bribe’s which had to be brought to the notice of the Law Enforcement Authorities Panchayat Minister Laxmikhant Parsekar on Saturday expressed concerns over the arrest of the Sarpanch and Village Panchayat Secretary of Ucassaim Village Panchayat who were caught red-handed, while accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000 by The Goa Police Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday …
It may be noted that Sarpanch Rajesh Dabhale and Secretary Uday Naik of Ucassaim had allegedly demanded Rs 2.35 lakh from architect Rahul Deshpande to issue a construction licence for the renovation of a house for which both the sarpanch and the secretary had demanded Rs 2.35 lakh to issue the licence – Rs 30,000 for each of the seven panchas and Rs 25,000 for the secretary.
Speaking to Goan Repoeter on the sidelines of a function held at the Corlim Primary Health Centre in Tiswaddi Taluka, where in a Multi Purpose Van was donated by Sygenta India Limited to the Corlim Primary Health Centre as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities Panchayat Minister Laxmikhant Parsekar said “When our government had come in to power in the State My Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had said that our Government would be of zero tolerance though it was not only for his Cabinet Minister and for Government Officers but also for Municipalities and Panchayat to obey that and since Goa being a tourist place number of construction and builders are approaching various Panchayats and certain Panchayats are doing malpractices like this and the Ucassaim Panchayat example is a unique example and I was sorry to learn that a Sarpanch and a Secretary were trapped red handed which is a good lesson for rest of other Panchayats I would say though it is very unfortunate but it is a good lesson too ..
On asked what about some of the Panchayat’s passing huge construction projects in certain villages even after they were opposed by the locals gram sabha parsekar said “It is the people who have to take care of all this as, as a minister and department we would act only when it comes to our notice as such things are not done in public and as every one have learnt or read through the media about this incident one could understand as how the spots were changed in this case and no one can keep a track of such things and therefore it is for only public to decide and act upon it.
Parsekar also stated that though it was a fact that even some Panchayat were giving permission to certain project even after it was opposed in gram sabhas, there were also some gram sabhas where in there were people with ulterior interest where in a group of locals do come and try to get their things passed though I do believe that it should not happen
