Team Herald
MARGAO: In a major victory to the people’s movement against the double tracking project, the panel backed by NGO Goencho Ekvott (GE) elected the Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of the village panchayat of Velsao-Pale-Issorcim.
Maria Diana Gouveia was elected the Sarpanch and Kishan Sankolkar, the Deputy Sarpanch.
In her brief speech after the declaration of the results, the new Sarpanch Gouveia thanked GE and the villagers for standing solidly behind the panel. She along with Dy Sarpanch Sankolkar stated that they will strive to do their best to bring about transparency in the administration coupled with accountability in all the three villages of Velsao, Pale and Issorcim, which comprise the panchayat areas. Panch Francis Braganza spoke about the struggle that the villagers are currently facing regarding the double tracking issue and vowed to stand by the villagers in opposing “the destructive mega project, which will cause doom to the villages along the route”. Panch Rudika Ashlina Antao echoed similar sentiments and said that the villagers will oppose the transportation of coal through their serene villages.
GE founder member Orville Dourado Rodrigues thanked the villagers for participating in the poll process in a civilised manner despite the unprecedented and unprincipled manner in which the opposite camp ran their campaign. He said that they are just caretakers of the scenic coastal villages just like their ancestors were and that the GE panel would look towards having sustainable development in collaboration with government agencies.
GE’s Joint Secretary Olencio Simoes lambasted the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which he said had openly aligned with the fascists in their campaign and trying till the last minute to apply strong-arm tactics to poach members of the winning GE panel, despite knowing that these elections were contested on non-political lines.
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