PANJIM: Civil society and panchayat members have raised strong objections to the State government’s move to prohibit discussions on subjects not on the agenda at gram sabha meetings, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the notification claiming it to be “arbitrary and against the spirit of devolution of powers”.
The State government through a notification in April, last year introduced an amendment to the Goa Panchayats (Gram Sabha meetings) Rules 1996, through which it proposed to substitute Rule 7 of the Act seeking to prohibit discussion on subjects beyond the agenda at gram sabha meetings. A 15-day period had been granted to raise objections. Accordingly, several persons submitted objections.
Directorate of Panchayat on Friday heard those who had raised their objections to the amendment and had also proposed suggestions.
During the hearing, Adv Yatish Naik said such an amendment does not augur well in view of the important role which the gram sabhas have been conferred with under legal guarantee.
He said that any efforts to prohibit discussion by inserting an unwanted hyper technicality into the body of rules as sought to be done through the substitution of Rule 7 is undoubtedly intended to weaken the institution of gram sabha and could be construed as a measure to dissuade and discourage people from raising subjects and issues for discussion at the sabhas, which is most unhealthy, arbitrary and anti- democratic.
Naik also said that the move is an attempt to silence the voice of the people by resorting to incorporation of most unhealthy and unwanted hyper-technicalities which is certainly not in the spirit of deliberative democracy.
Further, Naik has suggested an amendment to the rules, so as to strengthen and give a larger role to the gram sabhas and to facilitate, encourage and empower them to deliberate on all issues concerning the village.
Another petitioner, former Soccoro panchayat member Soter D’Souza said that piecemeal amendments will not work out solution as the Act as a whole needs amendment. “The amendment needs to be withdrawn immediately as it not healthy for the democratic process,” he said, adding that under Rule 8 and 9, there is a provision where people can place their proposals, outside the agenda and government has not spoken anything on that.
“The actual problem lies with the secretary and panch members. They are not able to carry out the proceedings smoothly and that is when the situation aggregates and becomes chaotic,” he said.
He also suggested that the gram sabha meeting should be scheduled at 9.30am instead of 11am.
Another panchayat member from Raia said the government needs to work towards strengthening the institution rather than weakening it. The amendment is highly arbitrary and against the spirit of development of powers and constitution.
