Empowering Taleigao
Taleigao village panchayat goes to the polls Sunday. Like many other panchayats in Goa, Taleigao panchayat too is a political fiefdom of the local MLA. Panchayat functions have stagnated to construction of drains, cleaning of gutters, cutting shrubs, giving certificates, issuing permissions and licences. Taleigao has done marginally better with street illumination, garbage plant, children’s park and joggers’ park, possibly by using state government funds.
The BJP backed dispensation which seeks to challenge the Taleigao satrap, which has promised slum development by again using the Chief Minister’s clout and state budget to gain votes is no better. Its principal aim is to occupy the political space, promote its local leader Dattaprasad Naik and fan his aspirations for the 2017 assembly elections.
Panchayats have become stepping stones for sarpanchas to become MLAs and village level wings of state government departments. What is missing in this entire local governance experiment is capacity building of people, inclusive and participatory development and social justice.
The 73rd Amendment Act, the second major landmark in Indian democracy after Independence, aims to deepen democracy and empowering marginalized and poorer sections of society into the loop. But often party, caste and factional politics have made panchayats ineffective in bringing about community development.
None of the political parties backing candidates for the Taleigao panchayat polls, have outlined any parameters for village development. Whichever panel comes to power should develop a vision for the village through the Gram Sabha and a village development plan to execute the vision. This plan has to envisage all infrastructure development plans. Unfortunately, this is pushed down their throats by the state government or the local MLA, irrespective of community needs discussed by the gram sabha. Secondly, the panchayat has to make an inventory of all resources in the village –natural, human and entrepreneurial and use them to implement the village plan. The panchayat has to ensure that all schools within its vicinity are assisted and monitored to meet the needs of the community and deliver quality education. Similarly, the health needs of the village also have to be met by developing a good health centre, maintain emergency services and care for the elderly, so that Goa Medical College is not overburdened. The panchayat has to ensure participation of women, SCs and STs. Above all, the functioning of the panchayat in giving of NOCs for construction, where majority of the corruption takes place has to be absolutely transparent and above board. Unfortunately non of the contesting panels have put this on their manifestos ahead of the election. All NOCs have to be brought before the regularly held gram sabha.
The panchayat has to handle local utilities and the State government has to devolve powers to all panchayats. There has to be capacity building of the panchas to serve the village. Presently it appears that the most pliable of candidates are being fielded, so that they do not in any way challenge the supremacy of the local MLA and anyone who is a threat is immediately dropped in the next term. Lastly evaluation of village programme should be done by the Gram Sabha, to enable course correction for future.
Taleigao had prospered economically from the rice cultivation on vast tracts of land and earned the distinction of being the granary of Tiswadi in the past. Similarly large tracts were utilised for horticulture. Since the last decade, farming has died a slow death except for a few zealous farmers who are fighting hard to retain their fields. Haphazard planning has destroyed the identity of the once capital of Tiswadi. The Taleigao satrap has realized that the tide is slowly turning against him for destructive development and promised a green Taleigao.
The endeavour of politicians and candidates should not only be to clinch majority to claim political one-upmanship or future electoral gains but to give the village a semblance of its past glory, given the present context and a vision for the future.
