On October 25, just weeks from now, 11 municipal councils of Goa will be going to the polls, electing new bodies to lead their towns through the next five years. While the local councillors and the aspirants to the seats have already begun their politicking, though the announcement of reservation of wards still remains to be done, there is little visible in the still unorganized campaign to suggest that the possible candidates have the interests of the residents or the improvement of the amenities of the towns at the top of their agenda. What is most important to the aspirants is that they win a seat in the council, what they do once they win the poll is of secondary importance to them.
Against this background, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza made known his displeasure at the existing councils for not forming the citizen’s committees despite efforts from the government to get these started. As minister for Urban Development, D’Souza said he will meet the new councils after they are formed and impress upon them the need to form the citizen committees. This assumes importance as a citizen’s involvement in governance currently ends with electing a representative, whether it is to the Municipal Council or to the State Assembly. A citizens’ committee at the municipal level will increase the involvement of the people with the council and even lead to a better understanding of issues and transparency in decision making.
The citizen committees are not entirely the State government’s idea. There is provision for such committees. The statement of objects and reasons to the 74th Amendment to the Constitution in section 3(d) proposes “constitution of committees at ward level or other level or levels within the territorial area of a municipality as may be provided in the State law”. Goa has been missing this arm of democracy for many years now. While the Village Panchayats have the gram sabhas, which is a forum for the villagers to meet, discuss, raise issues and make suggestions, such a forum has been sorely missing from the municipal councils. Some states have initiated the citizen committees. Jalandhar for instance, has already planned a citizen coordination committee, which would be a think tank of sorts that would help improve the civic amenities in this Punjab city.
The suggestion of the deputy chief minister of starting the citizen committees will have come as music to the ears of civil society, especially those involved in council activities. The residents of Margao, for instance, who in the past few months have been taking an active part in the civic body’s working, with some of them even taking time off from their regular duties to attend council meetings, will surely welcome the idea.
The new councils, could perhaps benefit from the citizen committees when they are formed as the deputy chief minister went on to suggest that the committees should consist of doctors, engineers, architects, teachers, journalists so that there can be some healthy debate on issues. “Unless we have debate we will not be in position to improve our performance and will not get fruitful output,” were his words. Such committees can lead to better suggestions, new ideas and contribute to the development of the towns. Every town has it peculiar problems and it is the residents who understand it best.
But for it to succeed, the contribution of the citizens should be constructive rather than overtly critical. While the committees will surely allow for better debate, the bodies, however, should not be merely advisory, but should also be able to hold the councils to accountability for what they do and what they don’t do. Ultimately the elected representatives should be accountable to the people and having such committees would be a first step in this direction. The citizen committees should play a dual role where they not only empower citizens in governance and contribute to the decision making process, they also keep a check on the councils and the elected ward representatives.
