PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Saturday objected to the amendment to the Goa Panchayats (Gram Sabha Meeting) Rules 1996 through which the State government is seeking to prohibit discussion of subjects besides the listed agenda at gram sabhas.
Cautioning the government to withdraw the ‘highhanded and anti-democratic’ proposal, Congress said the government is trying to take away the voices of the grassroots level as gram sabhas are exposing the government on issues like Regional Plan, ODPs, PDAs, river nationalisation and coal transportation.
Addressing the media, GPCC Spokesperson Adv Yatish Naik said, “This is an assault on the democratic institution of the gram sabha and it is done to scuttle the voice of the people at the grassroots level. Further it is an anti-democratic idea which is sought to foist illegally, highhandedly and arbitrarily. This issue is very important and the BJP led government is resorting to deliberate madness.”
He added, “Most of the gram sabhas discuss important issues. They have attacked the government rightfully in regards to government taking wrong decisions, policies and various proposals. We demand that the government withdraw the proposal which is highhanded and anti-democratic. The government is suppressing the civil liberties and freedom of people whereas it should have encouraged public discourse,” he added.
GPCC has also suggested an amendment to the Goa Panchayat (Gram Sabha Meeting) Rules 1996 so as to strengthen and give a bigger role to the gram sabhas and to facilitate encourage and empower the gram sabhas to deliberate on all issues concerning the concerned village which come within the scope and ambit and domain of the institution.
“It is extremely essential for the State government to realise that collective decision making is a prerequisite for the success of participative democracy. Hence it is important that the State government take all such steps to strengthen the institution of the panchayats,” Naik said.
