Gram Sabhas are considered important meetings where residents deliberate on various issues pertaining to the village, but a group of panchas from Anjuna have accused the Anjuna panchayat of failing to hold a single Gram Sabha for over five months.
Panchas Suhashni Govekar and Sheetal Dabolkar have also alleged that the Anjuna panchyat had convened only three Gram Sabhas in 2013.
“The Anjuna panchyat last convened its Gram Sabha on August 18, 2013, and that too, on orders of the BDO. Since then, there has not been a single Gram Sabha meeting conducted in our village. As per the Panchyat Act, Gram Sabha meetings are a mandatory requirement every quarterly,” Govekar told Herald.
Added Dabolkar: “By not having a Gram Sabha for a long time, residents do not know what is happening in Anjuna and are unaware of the developements in the village. Residents have been complaining that Gram Sabha meetings are not being conducted regularly and that, they are unable to put their grievances before the panchyat body.”
A resident, Ramesh Naik, complained that the Anjuna panchayat was depriving the right of its residents by refusing to hold a Gram Sabha.
“It is unacceptable that the Anjuna Panchyat is not interested in having the Gram Sabha. People of Anjuna panchyat are deprived of their rights to attend a Gram Sabha and they are unable to put forth their suggestions and grievances in the Gram Sabha,” h said.
Another resident, Pradip Harmalkar, alleged that the panchayat could be refusing a Gram Sabha to avoid being confronted by residents on irregularities in the village.
“People attend the Gram Sabha with valid queries about irregularities, illegalities and other development works, but the panchayat may be avoiding a Gram Sabha as it may not be in a position to answer these queries,” said Harmalkar.
“The panchayat does not care as there is no punishment for the panchayat members for not conducting a Gram Sabha. We have already missed one Gram Sabha which shoul have been held in October 2013. The BDO office should ensure that Gram Sabha meetings are convened regularly,” he added.
When contacted, Deputy Sarpanch Savio Almeida was quick to point fingers at the Block Development Office (BDO) and the people for the panchayat’s failure to hold a Gram Sabha.
“The panchyat is not responsible if the BDO has not issued us the date for a Gram Sabha. Besides, nobody has sent any written complaint to the panchayat on this issue. If the people are unhappy that a Gram Sabha has not been held since August 2013, they should complain in writing to the panchayat,” said Almeida.
Asked to comment in the matter, the BDO, Rohini Halarnkar, shot back saying that the Anjuna panchayat should also be responsible in holding the Gram Sabhas regularly.
“I cannot comment if my predecessor is being accused of failing to issue a date to the Anjuna panchayat to hold its Gram Sabha. I took charge of this BDO only a couple of months ago and I cannot be responsible for this situation,” stated Halarnkar.
“Moreover, it is the responsibility and duty of the Panchyat body to ensure that a Gram Sabha is convened regularly. Hence forth, if Gram Sabhas are not held in time, I will issue orders to the panchayats concerned to convene these Gram Sabhas on specific dates,” she added.
