MARGAO: The government’s resolve to hold the ensuing Zilla Panchayat polls on party lines came under stiff opposition from the Salcete countryside on Sunday.
Voices of dissent also surfaced at the gram sabhas over the absence of transparency in the ongoing process of delimitation of Zilla panchayat wards.
As many as four gram sabha meetings held in the taluka said a firm no to the government decision on grounds that election on party lines will vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the villages.
The issued figured prominently at the Camurlim gram sabha chaired by deputy Sarpanch Conceissao Dias when gram sabha member Romao Jesus and others questioned the rationale behind the decision to hold the ZP polls on party lines.
“Today, it is the Zilla Panchayats, the government will then hold the Panchayat polls on party lines. This will disturb our peaceful environment. Democracy will be at peril as elected members will lose their freedom as they will be forced to toe the party line ignoring the local needs and issues,” Jesus warned.
Jesus received support from the gram sabha members who demanded that the government re-consider the decision to hold the coming ZP polls on party lines.
The gram sabha also demanded to know whether the Panchayat body was taken into confidence by the government while carrying out the delimitation exercise.
At the Paroda meeting, gram sabha members unanimously opposed the government decision to hold the ZP polls on party lines. Sarpanch Deepak Kharangate, who chaired the meeting told Herald, that the gram sabha also took strong exception to the ongoing delimitation process undertaken by the government. “The tenor at the meeting was such that people were vehemently opposed to elections on party lines. We will convey the decision to the government,” he said.
The issue also figured at the Telaulim gram sabha and Sarpanch Duarte Pires told the members that the gram sabha had earlier strongly opposed any decision to hold the elections on party lines, adding that the Panchayat decision remains unchanged till date.
At the Assolna gram sabha, members sought to know from Sarpanch Pedrina Cardozo the stand of the Panchayat body to the government decision. Even as the gram sabha members opposed elections on party lines, the Sarpanch maintained that the Panchayat body is opposed to the government decision.
Meanwhile, Goans for Goa has called for a meeting in Margao on Tuesday to bring together all the Panchayat stakeholders in order to unitedly oppose the government’s move.
Kennedy Afonso said the issue will be deliberated at length before an action plan will be unveiled to oppose elections on party lines.
