Though political parties are now stating that these polls are not a semi final for the State polls, the results will give a clear indication of the support that the various parties have at the moment. With around 15 months for the Assembly polls, parties will plan election campaign strategies based on these results. It is unfortunate that a grassroots democratic body plays this role, when it could have done much more for the districts.
The Zilla Panchayats – one in each district – have since inception been bodies that exist to meet a mandatory requirement, and only a few powers and functions have been devolved to them. On paper the Zilla Panchayats are powerful bodies. The Panchayati Raj Act 1994 bestows upon the ZPs in Goa varied functions, including aspects of agriculture, minor irrigation, water management and watershed management, animal husbandry, dairying and poultry, fisheries, small scale industries, drinking water, poverty alleviation programmes, education, cultural activities, health and sanitation, primary health centres and dispensaries, women and child development, welfare of the weaker sections. But in practice, the institutions have a very limited role to play, and so serve little purpose.
This will not change unless the various powers are devolved to them and the bodies are made financially independent and do not have to depend on the government for finance. Under the current circumstances, the ZPs remain a legal necessity that have turned into a financial burden to the cash-strapped State. For that matter, Panchayati Raj in Goa is a mere formality to meet the Constitutional requirements, that makes it mandatory for a small State like Goa to have a two tier system, unlike larger states that have three levels. It is not just the Zilla Panchayats, but other grassroots bodies like the village panchayats and municipal councils too have not been allowed to develop and play their role as envisaged by the Panchayati Raj Act.
Once the new Zilla Panchayats are constituted, will they remain toothless or will the government devolve powers to them, so that they can play their role as has been envisaged? It can only happen if those who are elected take their positions seriously and demand that they be given the powers as mandated. What rural Goa needs are strong representatives who will stand by the people rather than be merely doing the bidding of the local MLA. Demanding that the powers be devolved to the bodies should be the first task that the new ZPs should take up. They won’t meet immediate success in this as no government would want to make these bodies powerful, so the members would have to fight for what is actually due to them.
The Zilla Panchayats have a major role to play if they are allowed to do so. It is the duty of the panchayats to prepare annual development plans and submit these to the district bodies for further action. This has not been happening, and ironically, the South Goa District Planning Committee (DPC) meeting was held earlier this year after the dates of the Zilla Panchayat elections had been announced. This meeting is to be held every year so as to finalise the local plans, but it was convened after five years, that too at the very end of the current term of the ZPs. Such a situation should not continue, and it would be the duty of the new ZP members to change it.
