MARGAO: That despondency has gripped the South Goa Zilla Panchayat members is evident, as after being deprived of powers, funds, and worse, even a modest office to operate from for years, they now question the very purpose of holding elections to the Zilla Panchayat.
It is no secret that, for years, the zilla members have been unsuccessfully demanding devolution of powers and funds to discharge their responsibilities as enjoined in the Panchayat Act and the Constitution. And ever since the district panchayat body was formed in the State after the first elections, it has been operating from a premise in Arlem by paying a huge sum of money as rent.
The Zilla members say that the district panchayat office, at Arlem, is housed in an old dilapidated building whose walls have developed cracks and its false ceiling could collapse at any moment; and in the absence of a generators or an inverter as a backup, the office suffers from erratic power supply; its air conditioners are broken; the tables and chairs are also broken; and the visitors have no place to sit.
Meanwhile, yielding to the persistent demand of the Zilla members for a modest office to operate from, the government agreed to shift the Zilla Panchayat office from Arlem to the old collectorate building in Margao, after the collectorate is shifted to the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex at Fatorda. However, even that promise has remained unfulfilled, so far.
It is learnt that the Zilla Panchayat had held one meeting at the old collectorate building, under the Chairmanship of Rivona ZP member Navnath Naik. Since then, owing to dilapidated and unusable condition of the building, no business of the Zilla Panchayat is transacted there.
When asked about the status of the premise provided to them at the old collectorate building and what would be the cost of renovating the same, SGZP President Navnath Naik said, “The estimated cost of renovating the new office is Rs 40 lakh, which has already been tendered, but the tenders haven’t been opened yet. ”
Meanwhile, the government is in no mood to devolve additional powers on the district panchayat; the Rs 10 crore promised to them has still not been sanctioned; the ZP has no officials or engineers for executing works.
ZP Member Clafasio Dias said, “No one is bothered about the SGZP and the government is totally lethargic towards them. No one wants the ZP to function.”
