MARGAO, April 14 -- Team Herald

Residents of Guirdolim village have strongly objected to a proposal seeking to reclassify around 37,000 square metres of orchard land in the village as settlement. The opposition was voiced at the gram sabha, where members resolved to forward their concerns to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department.

The meeting, presided over by sarpanch Sonia Fernandes, also saw the approval of the village panchayat's budget estimates for the financial year 2025-26. Several gram sabha members urged the panchayat to initiate rent collection after verifying tenancy records and to act swiftly to recover pending tax dues.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Fernandes confirmed that the gram sabha passed a resol...