Team Herald
PONDA: A Good Governance initiative camp held at Kranti Maidan in Ponda on Saturday saw limited public attendance despite the presence of officials and staff from 31 government departments, including the Mamlatdar and the Block Development Officer (BDO). The camp, aimed at providing information and benefits of various government schemes and services, ran from 10 am to 4 pm.
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While chairs for government staff were fully occupied, those designated for the public remained largely vacant.
Local resident Naresh Naik pointed out the mismatch, saying, “Compared to the huge number of government staff, the public response was low. By 11.30 am, only a few citizens had arrived.”
Naik welcomed the initiative but criticised the lack of adequate awareness, noting that people only learnt about the event on December 19 through newspapers, leaving them little time to prepare. “Such camps should be publicised at least a week in advance. Panchayat members and Sarpanchas should be involved in creating awareness to ensure greater public participation,” he suggested.
Despite the visible low turnout, officials reported a different perspective. Sources in the Mamlatdar’s office stated that around 120 citizens benefitted from the camp, with some successfully obtaining necessary certificates. BDO Ashwin Desai remarked, “The response was good, and officials resolved the grievances of attendees.”
