Given that the size of gram sabhas in Goa is small, a few disgruntled elements can easily stir up discontent, even based on personal or political rivalries. Therefore there is need to first have a village, district and state master plans arrived at through an elaborate collective exercise. This should be operationalised through an acceptable Regional or spatial plan for the welfare of all. An imposed Regional plan and high handed location of projects will always have opposition in the absence of transparent criteria. Cuncolim may have rejected the NIT project not because people do not want quality education, but due to centralized decision making.
This takes us back to fundamentals — implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments which have been hijacked by parties and governments, who refuse to empower local bodies. Politicians in Goa are scared of losing their influence if panchayats are empowered and ensure that panchayats are under their fatwas. Though this satisfies their short term power pangs, it erodes inclusive governance and long term prosperity of Goa.
Irrespective of the ruling coalition’s opinion, the panchayats and municipal bodies have to be devolved functions, functionaries and finances. As argued in these columns earlier, sub state level staff from the district level downwards has to be deputed to Zilla Panchayats, BDOs offices and to panchayats, including technical staff. The District Rural Development Agency has to be subjected to ZPs control along with electricity, water supply and PWD technical staff. A separate panchayat cadre too should be created if the government believes in democracy and respects the Indian Constitution. Together with this, 40 percent of the State Government budget should be allocated to panchayats and municipalities as done in Kerala. The State government excuse about corruption, instability or divisions do not hold water since, Centre does not deny powers to states even when there is more factionalism and corruption in state level. As per the constitutionally mandate, powers have to be devolved to local bodies.
Goa shares the notoriety only with Pondicherry of not devolving a single power to panchayats and municipalities. Even Bihar has now devolved powers to panchayats under the Nitish Kumar dispensation.
Panchayats in Goa are used as village level department of Goa government only constructing drains, cleaning gutters and constructing panchayat ghars, while panchayats in Kerala are on World Bank rooster for fabulous sanitation initiatives.
Goa panchayats should be asked to make a perspective village plan for 20 years with their future in mind along with location of educational, housing, medical, recreational, market and other facilities. The village plans should be integrated into district and state level plans and integrated to include the vision of the Goa government in terms of location of industries, tourism projects, recreational facilities, educational hubs etc through transparent and notified criteria.
These plans inclusive of facilities should be kept for public feedback and objections at least for a year. Private town planners, government officials, social scientist etc should be roped in for inputs. It has been observed that even as Goa has a highly literate population, state governments have been reticent to engage with continuous and enlightened dialogue with its population on all major decisions. Therefore history shows that one of the first environmental agitations in India –the anti Zuari agitation was launched in Goa in 1973. Similarly, the Anti Nylon 6,6, the Anti Meta Strips, the anti golf course, the anti SEZ agitation, the anti IT Habitat agitation have all been launched after the projects have been pushed through often with outdated technology, to further corporate interests and without taking the public at large into confidence. Goa being small and literate, needs ‘consensually agreed development policies’ based on a common agenda. This agenda, unmistakably has to be worked from the panchayat level upwards and not pushed down the throats of people, by so called consultant and vested interests.
