Three decades ago, the Goa Panchayat Raj was enacted in 1994 and since then major lacunae have come to light necessitating amendments so that the letter and spirit of this legislation can be honoured.
The most glaring distortion of this legislation in recent times is the occupation of the coveted Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch positions by rotation. This has resulted in the panchayat members playing musical chairs in most of the panchayats in Goa. What is appalling is that at many places, the elected MLA endorses this abuse of law that is supposed to be sacrosanct!
Little wonder then that there are frequent changes in Sarpanch/Deputy Sarpanch posts with some even publicly boasting that they had agreed to share that position and “hence resigned to honour the promise”.
This misuse of the democratic position and sanctity of the chair has to be stopped forthwith. But the question is who will bell the cat?
For decades now, villagers have been expressing their ire over the absence of panchayat members at Gram Sabha especially when a matter pertaining to their ward or concerning their interest is scheduled to be discussed. Most often, in the absence of the panchayat member, discussion is not held, thereby defeating the very purpose of holding a gram sabha.
Another major question that comes to mind is the validity of the gram sabha, given the fact that matters discussed at these meetings are not treated seriously by the powers that be, whether it is the elected panchayat body or the government departments overlooking their functioning.
Vide a circular dated November 14, 2012, the Director of Panchayat had very specially endorsed that the decision of the Gram Sabha is binding as mentioned in the Act itself. However, this is not practised and that is why very often one hears villagers complaining that gram sabhas are irrelevant as its decisions are not implemented. That the gram sabha decision is binding is there in letter, but is absent in spirit as panchayats do not endorse the gram sabha decisions or resolutions at subsequent panchayat body meetings.
Right from the time the Goa Panchayat Raj Act was enacted, there have been complaints that it is a toothless tiger as no powers were devolved to the Zilla Panchayat and the Gram Panchayat. Ironically, this shortcoming has not been addressed for the last 30 long years.
Significantly, whether panchayats will be able to do justice to powers given to them is another question, given the fact that huge sums of money are lying un-utilised by the panchayats. All the 30 panchayats from Salcete have more than Rs 1 crore lying in their accounts without being utilised, and what is shocking is that huge sums are kept in banks in savings accounts despite the auditors regularly asking panchayats to keep them in fixed deposits to earn some extra money.
Besides, most of the panchayats in Goa depend largely on the government for funds without lifting a finger to increase their own resources. Tax collection is very lax as panchayat members do not want to get into bad books with the villagers by issuing Demand Notices, as religiously advised by the auditors. Little wonder then that in many panchayats house tax is not even 30 per cent of the expected amount.
Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho, ever since he took over in 2017, has been promising to bring about the necessary amendments. Unfortunately, this has remained yet another empty promise from this seasoned politician.
Late Manohar Parrikar who is credited for bringing the Bharatiya Janata Party to power in Goa, had made devolution of powers to the local bodies one of his oft repeated promise. The BJP that is enjoying the fruits of his labour, have only been content in erecting a memorial for him while very conveniently not only ignoring, but actually working contrary to what he had promised the people of Goa. Beyond doubt, his soul must be very disturbed to see the way the Goa Panchayat Raj Act is implemented in Goa, just as he was disturbed when he was walking on the red soil of this pearl of the Orient that he was so proud of.
