A tense gram sabha meeting in Assonora on Sunday saw frustrated villagers openly questioning the panchayat over alleged irregularities, lack of transparency and unclear expenditure on several works carried out in the village.
Residents repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the responses given by panchayat officials, while newly elected Sarpanch Nita Naik remained mostly silent as the discussions grew increasingly heated.
One of the main concerns came from local resident Vijay Benaulikar, who questioned why several large trees—including a mango and a sandalwood tree—had been cut without any disclosure on what was done with the timber or whether any revenue was earned.
“The panchayat says it spent money to cut the trees, but they aren’t telling us what happened to the wood,” Benaulikar said. He also pointed out that although permission had reportedly been granted to cut five trees, nearly seven were felled.
Benaulikar further raised doubts over the panchayat’s claim of spending ₹80,000 on desilting wells. He alleged that payments were made to labourers for tree-cutting work but no proper records were maintained, accusing the panchayat of possible misuse of funds meant for well-cleaning.
Another villager, Sasha D’Souza, brought attention to the increasing crime in the area and criticised the panchayat for failing to maintain the solar-powered CCTV cameras installed a few years ago. According to her, nearly half of the 12–13 cameras had stopped functioning.
“This issue has been raised repeatedly for years, but nothing ever changes. We only hear excuses,” she said.
In response, the panchayat secretary informed villagers that eight new CCTV cameras had recently been installed at a cost of ₹3.70 lakh. But D’Souza stressed that reliable surveillance was essential for the safety of residents.
“With crime rising in the State, CCTV cameras are important. We never know whose house may be targeted next,” she added.
Villagers concluded the meeting by demanding greater transparency, proper procedure, and clear explanations from the panchayat regarding expenditure and the manner in which projects are being carried out.
A tense gram sabha meeting in Assonora on Sunday saw frustrated villagers openly questioning the panchayat over alleged irregularities, lack of transparency and unclear expenditure on several works carried out in the village.
Residents repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the responses given by panchayat officials, while newly elected Sarpanch Nita Naik remained mostly silent as the discussions grew increasingly heated.
One of the main concerns came from local resident Vijay Benaulikar, who questioned why several large trees—including a mango and a sandalwood tree—had been cut without any disclosure on what was done with the timber or whether any revenue was earned.
“The panchayat says it spent money to cut the trees, but they aren’t telling us what happened to the wood,” Benaulikar said. He also pointed out that although permission had reportedly been granted to cut five trees, nearly seven were felled.
Benaulikar further raised doubts over the panchayat’s claim of spending ₹80,000 on desilting wells. He alleged that payments were made to labourers for tree-cutting work but no proper records were maintained, accusing the panchayat of possible misuse of funds meant for well-cleaning.
Another villager, Sasha D’Souza, brought attention to the increasing crime in the area and criticised the panchayat for failing to maintain the solar-powered CCTV cameras installed a few years ago. According to her, nearly half of the 12–13 cameras had stopped functioning.
“This issue has been raised repeatedly for years, but nothing ever changes. We only hear excuses,” she said.
In response, the panchayat secretary informed villagers that eight new CCTV cameras had recently been installed at a cost of ₹3.70 lakh. But D’Souza stressed that reliable surveillance was essential for the safety of residents.
“With crime rising in the State, CCTV cameras are important. We never know whose house may be targeted next,” she added.
Villagers concluded the meeting by demanding greater transparency, proper procedure, and clear explanations from the panchayat regarding expenditure and the manner in which projects are being carried out.
