The village panchayat and the gram sabha should take strong action against people trying to make a quick buck for themselves in the name of tourism.
The Morjim gram sabha members on Sunday raised their voices against some hotels for changing the names of beaches with its own names on signboards.
The villagers at the gram sabha claimed that many hotels have changed the original name of the beaches and gave the names of the establishments. They said the panchayat should take action against such hotels.
“Gawadewada beach is now known as Marbela beach by the tourists, as the owner of Marbela Resort has erected a signboard naming it Marbela beach,” said a villager.
The villagers gave approval to the development works suggested by the Village Development Committee (VDC).
Clearing of traditional pathways, construction of parking place near Bora Bora Restaurant at Morjim, beautification of traditional springs, Sai temple, Tembwada Chapel and Ganesh immersion site, renovation of playgrounds and wells were some of the works suggested by VDC.
A resolution to construct a bus shed at Madhala Waddo, Morjim, was passed. It was decided to install CCTV cameras at Vidhyaprasarak High School and Peter High School.
The residents also raised the issues of narrow roads, irregular water supply, repairs of culverts and fish market, etc.
Deepak Shetgaonkar demanded conducting a survey of encroachments in government land along the coastal belt and clear the land for picnickers.
“Some shack owners put wooden beds on the beach, making it difficult for the people to move on the beach. Some foreign tourists also rest semi naked on the beaches, due to which the locals face huge embarrassment while on the beach,” said Shetgaonkar.
Morjim Sarpanch Shanti Poke, Deputy Sarpanch Amit Shetgaonkar, Panchas Vaishalli Shetgaonkar, Sampada Shetgaonkar, Tushar Shetgaonkar, Mukesh Gadekar, Pawan Morje, Vilas Morje and Prakash Shirodkar were present.