There is increasing evidence trickling in that the panchayats in the State are not performing as per the expectations. The ‘musical chairs’ in the panchayats, whereby sarpanchas are ‘rotated’ so that all panchas have a short stint in the all important position, is a well-known fact. But now has emerged the revelation that even funds allotted to panchayats are not fully utilised.
When across the State everybody clamours for development, and there are always complaints of lack of funds, the disclosure that the 191 panchayats in the State have not been utilising the funds that have been allotted to them is a cause of, not some but much, surprise. Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho has stated that under the 14th Finance Commission, panchayats in the State have been allotted an amount of Rs 37 cr, but the amount utilised is below Rs 6 cr. This is under 20 percent of the allotment that has been used, and a poor record indeed. But is not a new phenomenon and the government faced a similar situation with funds allotted under the previous Finance Commissions, and other financial disbursements too. After the elections last year, the Chief Minister had said he would hold the elected panchas accountable for non-performance. Can the failure to utilise the allotted funds be one of the areas to judge the performance of a panchayat?
This, hwoever, calls for introspection and the larger question that needs to be addressed is indeed not about allotment of funds, but whether panchayats in Goa are willing to take up works or even capable of planning development projects. It leads to make one wonder whether the elected representatives at the grassroots level have the vision to plan for the village or need to be directed towards development projects. Or whether there is something holding them back.
Given that there is a tremendous amount of interest generated in the panchayat elections, with candidates furiously battling it out in the campaign, the willingness and capacity to take up projects will surely be there. So, what’s keeping them back?
With panchayats increasingly becoming political bodies, where the local MLA plays a major role in often even deciding who contests the election and then throwing his or her weight behind that candidate, the independence of the body becomes questionable. Sarpanchas hold office at the pleasure of the MLA. It was very much in evidence last year when a no-confidence motion was moved against a sarpanch within 24 hours of his election, just because the local MLA had not got his person in power. This political vice-like grip over the panchayats has to be released and the panchayats be allowed to work independently in the interest of the village. This will revolutionise the panchayats and the villages.
A year has already gone by since the last panchayat election, which means that there are almost four more years before the next elections are held. The time has to be utilised in empowering the grassroots democratic bodies in planning for themselves. Under the Act every panchayat has to constitute various committees, but while that is mandated, there is need perhaps of ensuring that these bodies do not remain constituted merely on paper but that they indeed contribute positively to the panchayat’s functioning and for the improvement of the village.
The only way that a panchayat body’s success can be judged is the change it has brought in the village. Can the panchayat bodies begin to take their responsibilities seriously and get down to the task of administration, and plan according to the needs of the villages, so that the time remaining in the term is utilised positively and bring about this noticeable change in the village?
