If the elections to the panchayats, clearly an important first step towards local self government, need to be transparent, fair and beyond the radar of influence of the ruling party and the government, then there can be no second option other than the State Election Commission doing the delimitation exercise. In a tiny state like Goa, where panchayat boundaries are within very short distances, delimitation can have debilitating effects on those against the ruling forces.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s remarks on Monday, that he would initiate this process after the panchayat elections, perhaps is a pointer to the government wanting greater transparency. But those in opposition as well as local activists at the grassroots, who have been demanding this for long, will have reason to feel that the stables are being secured after the horses have bolted, since the effects of state-controlled delimitation may be felt in the panchayat elections next week.
The reservation proves, needs to begin a year or at the very least six months before the elections.
This again has been echoed by the Chief Minister. And it is for this very reason that this process should have commenced six to 12 month before the election which is in front of us, albeit Mr Parrikar not being in Goa during the period when Laxmikant Parsekar was the Chief Minister.
But the malaise of controlling the local self- governments in different ways, including by making panchayat heads function as agents of the local MLA, cuts across party lines and different periods. Panchayats are seen as the local branch of the power ruling satrap and not as bodies of local self-government exercising a fair bit of autonomy and taking responsibilities for their actions and decisions. Which is why, from controlling funds to choosing projects to tendering work, the long arm of the MLA and his partnership with a plaint sarpanch has been visible. And in places where this relationship has soured, the panchayat has suffered in the local battle. It goes completely downhill from then on, with the MLA doing his best to back another lobby and topple the sarpanch and have a new team under his control.The development of the village therefore becomes secondary to the power games of politicians. And that is not going to change soon.
Those working at the grassroots and well-versed with local self-government have opined that clear allotments to each panchayats in the various sectors as per their village development plan priorities should be made in the budget. They have also endorsed very strongly the need for the State Election Commission to handle not just de-limitation but also reservation and the declarations of results.
State governments over the years have paid lip service to backing a strong local self-government but in reality, have scarcely respected the powers of panchayats in Schedule 11 of the constitution
But as always, as Herald has been insisting, real change has to come from the people. In this case, real power has to be exercised and assumed by the Gram Sabhas, in a positive, manner. If the gram sabhas work towards creating a consensus of decisions which are good for the village and not for specific politicians, then everything from elections, to the corrupt functioning of some panchayat members (whose riches have doubled from the time they have been elected to ‘high’ office) can be checked.
All the ills of nepotism, intrigue, backstabbing and treachery are on display in Goa’s panchayats. What is in short supply though, are decisions made with the sole purpose of benefitting the village. Yet again, change lies with people, not politicians.
