MARGAO, May 14 -- Team Herald

Against the backdrop of a 15-day-long water shortage, the Betalbatim panchayat has strongly criticised the Public Works Department (PWD), Town and Country Planning (TCP), Water Resources Department (WRD), and other concerned authorities for failing to respond to their repeated requests for holistic solutions to the village's infrastructure issues.

While the water shortage remained the most pressing concern, panchayat members - including Deputy Sarpanch Ilma Dias, panch member Viola Pacheco, and others - blamed various government departments for consistently failing to act on public grievance complaints in a timely manner.

They noted that the public often blames the panchayat, without realising that it has ...