When the Panchayati Raj system was enacted, it was supposed to devolve powers directly to the people in the Indian democratic system in decision making. Of late, the institution of the Panchayat has been reduced to a coterie of power brokers fuelling scams and acting arbitrarily against the interests of the village.
Boom in Goa’ s real estate have opened a Pandora’s box where construction plans are passed and cleared in the Panchayats in connivance with the Town & Country Planning Dept. by bypassing all norms and rules laid down for clearance of files for construction. Accesses, setbacks and F.A.R as shown in the project plans are hardly maintained and occupancies and NOC’s are granted by the Panchayat’s by not taking the interests of the villagers or the public into consideration but depending on the pressure of the applicant. The mandatory access road width for constructions is easily manipulated in the plans while the ground reality is a different story altogether. Even mega projects and large buildings are cleared where the mandatory road access F.A.R and building height norms existing only on paper with the full knowledge of the TCP dept. Technical officers of TCP dept and the Panchayats prepare the Technical Clearance and Occupancy orders even without verifying the construction for any irregularities.
What is most alarming is Panchayats not acting as per provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act and in the interests of the village. People coming forward with written complaints against public nuisances and illegal constructions see no action being initiated but only excuses and delaying tactics. Illegal constructions are mushrooming in our countryside due to the rule of the land not being followed in its true spirit by the very guardians of our Panchayati Raj System. The institution of Panchayat has been defamed, manipulated and scarred under the very eyes of the government with appeals for action from the public reaching the Director of Panchayat and ultimately the judiciary for justice.
Panchayats need to be held more accountable for inaction, corruption and for acting in contravention of provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act if the purpose of the Panchayati Raj System has to achieve its
intended goal.
