TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: The villagers of Betalbatim demonstrated their proactive engagement by addressing their concerns with the village panchayat regarding the delayed gram sabha meeting focused on the budget. They expressed a collective desire for transparency and accountability, urging the panchayat to prioritise the timely organisation of such meetings and effectively utilise the allocated funds outlined in the budget.
During a Gram Sabha meeting chaired by Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes, the community deliberated and ratified a surplus budget for the forthcoming financial year. However, due to the code of conduct enforced during the Lok Sabha elections, the agenda did not extend to discussions on developmental projects.
At the start of the meeting, some villagers questioned the panchayat body for not delaying the gram sabha to discuss the budget for the next financial year. They raised concerns about the purpose of holding the Gram Sabha if developmental works cannot be discussed and questioned the timing of the budget presentation before the start of the next financial year.
In response to these questions, Sarpanch Fernandes assured the villagers that all future gram sabhas will be conducted on time, and the funds proposed in the budget will be utilized for the proposed developmental works once the elections are over. Additionally, villagers urged the panchayat body to hold regular meetings of various committees, especially the Village Development Committee, to deliberate on developmental works, and emphasised the need for concerned panch members to take their responsibilities seriously in carrying out the works in their wards.
