MARGAO: Social activists are infuriated with the political parties for not giving priority to strengthening local self-governing bodies of Goa in their respective manifestos despite the fact that majority of the MLAs have come up in their political career from these grassroots institutions.
Speaking to Herald, many have even accused the sarpanchas and panchayat members campaigning for candidates of main political parties of not taking up this issue. The activists criticised the political parties saying that they have chosen to ignore their stepping stone to their success and have shown no interest in devolving powers to the Panchayati Raj institution.
J Santano Rodrigues, who represents the Goa Panchayati Raj Institutions Union, slammed the political parties for failing to honour the Constitution and the powers bestowed upon the local governing bodies viz. village panchayats (VP) and Zilla Panchayats (ZP).
Rodrigues had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a solution to this long pending demand.
“We were expecting that at least at the time of elections the political parties will give preference to the issue of giving more powers to the panchayats. However, none of the political parties have mentioned about it in their manifestos, which is very much disheartening,” he said.
He further said that sarpanchas and panchayat members of several village panchayats supporting the candidates need to be questioned and assurance should be taken from them with regard to devolution of powers to local self-governing bodies.
“We are pursuing this for the last several years and have since been struggling with successive governments for devolution of powers and funds to the ZPs and VPs, as mandated by the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution of India,” he said.
He further questioned why no political parties are showing the will to empower local bodies?
Vincente D’Silva, a grassroots leader from Salcete, is of the same opinion that these issues should have been there in the manifestos of political parties. However, none of them thought of the issue. Hence, it is a clear indication that they have no intention to give more powers to the panchayat bodies.
“Political parties fear losing their powers to the self-governing bodies. However, political parties are ignoring the fact that actual development of any constituency or the State is dependent on how the self-governing bodies perform at the grassroots level with the powers they have,” he said.
Sameer Gaonkar, another social activist said that the fear of losing the hold on the VPs and ZPs is the only reason political parties are sidelining the issue.
“It is the constitutional obligation of the State to give powers to the local bodies. Sadly none are interested in strengthening the VPs and ZPs,” he charged.
He further said the fact is that there could be conflict of interest between MLAs and the elected panchayat members, but at the same time constitutional amendment cannot be kept in cold storage perennially.
