PANJIM: Monday saw hectic political activity at the panchayat level, an unavoidable subversion of what are essentially meant to be people’s institutions.
There was a lot of jostling to install politicians’ panels in some panchayats, but not in all. In some panchayats, there was a glimmer of hope for grassroots democracy – the silent triumph of self-governance, where people’s panchayats triumphed, where non-political sarpanchas and panchas were elected, some of them unanimously.
Some of the villages that witnessed non-political citizens’ panels taking charge were Benaulim, Cortalim, Velsao and Santa Cruz among others. Jennifer de Oliveira was elected Sarpanch of the St Cruz panchayat while Inacio Dominic Pereira was elected deputy sarpanch. Both were elected unopposed, without the support of any particular politician.
“Our main agenda is the development of the village, and nothing else. We will take decisions collectively to overcome the mess that the village infrastructure was left in, and issues like the Community Hall and Panchayat Ghar are our top priority,” Inacio Dominic Pereira said.
In the Cortalim panchayat, both the Sarpanch and Deputy elected are women. Senia Pereira was elected Sarpanch of Cortalim and Divya Raikar elected her Deputy. “Like-minded panchas have gotten together and formed a new body. Most of us are first-timers,” said Cortalim Sarpanch Senia Pereira, who added that solving the garbage menace is a top priority.
Xavier Pereira and Glyda Rodrigues e Fernandes were declared Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of Cana-Benaulim, while the village’s united stance against the double-tracking project of the South
Western Railways led to the victory of new Sarpanch Maria Diana Goveia and her Deputy Krishan Sankolkar who said saving the environment of their village was the mutual objective.
