Team Herald
MARGAO: The adjourned gram sabha of Benaulim was further adjourned to discuss only the budget. However, at the Sunday’s meeting a seemingly unwieldy 76-member Village Development Committee (VDC) was constituted while the Standing Committees mandated by the Panchayati Raj Act were not even discussed.
A 76-member Village Development Committee including the 11 panchayat members and various members numbering 6 to 4 from each ward including many who were not even present for the gram sabha was constituted with panchayat members naming members to be appointed on the committee.
The gram sabha also constituted the following committees: 6-member Finance Committee, 6-member Road and Safety Management Committee, 6-member Vigilance Committee, 7-member Village Water and Sanitation Committee, 5-member Garbage Management Committee.
It was decided to constitute the Village Child Labour committee subsequently after meeting people who could be on the committee and getting their consent.
Surprisingly, the gram sabha did not even discuss the Standing Committees mandated by the Goa Panchayati Raj Act which are Amenities Committee, Production Committee and Social Justice Committee.
When the budget was presented for discussion and approval, villagers demanded that a special meeting be convened to discuss the same as there would not be sufficient time. “The budget needs to be revised before discussing as what is presented is the one prepared by the previous body,” pointed out one of the villager.
The panchayat had prepared a deficit budget of Rs. 1,32,70,000 which was however shown as a surplus budget of Rs. 2,62,40,437 by adding the Rs. 3,95,10,437 that was available as Opening Balance
Earlier the gram sabha decided to have a special meeting with the MLA to discuss the Western Bypass passing through the village as many were demanding that it be constructed as a flyover from Kale property to Mungul junction.
It was also decided to seek legal opinion on whether the panchayat can develop the open spaces donated to it by developers of land in the village.
A memorandum issued by Block Development Officer directing the panchayat to create awareness of the National Commission for Minorities was only distributed to the villagers but was not even discussed at the gram sabha.
