GUILHERME ALMEIDA
will the change in political guard ring in good news for the panchayat administration in populous Salcete that is hit by manpower constraints and system failure – right from the Block Development Office down to the panchayat secretaries?
Shifting of the Salcete BDO office to the imposing District Collectorate building, South, a year ago might have helped the BDO staff tide over the space constraints plaguing the office. But, manpower constraints have hit the functioning of the BDO office as well as the panchayats for want of fulltime secretaries.
Consider this: The Salcete BDO office was manned by two Block Development Officers to meet the growing requirements of the block comprising of 30 village panchayats. Presently, the office is headed by a lone BDO M S Mardolkar after the transfer of Manuel Barretto upon promotion. Mardolkar is today holding additional charge of the neighbouring Mormugao block, having nine panchayats, throwing the panchayat administration haywire. In addition, Mardolkar is holding charge of the constituencies of Cuncolim and Benaulim in Salcete block and Cortalim in Mormugao block being the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer.
Panchayat rules mandate a Block Development Officer to visit every panchayat in the respective block thrice a year. Sarpanchas say they have not seen the BDO in the panchayats even once a year. That’s not all. Sarpanchas are sore that the BDO office takes months to prepare estimates in respect of development works, indicating a system failure, which has affected the functioning of the local-self government bodies.
What has hit the panchayat administration at the village level is the acute shortage of panchayat secretaries. Records reveal that as many as 9-10 panchayat bodies in Salcete block have no fulltime secretaries. These village panchayats, including some 11-member bodies, are being looked after by secretaries holding additional charges, hampering the panchayat administration.
Sarpanch of 11-member Sao Jose de Areal, Julio Monteiro was critical of the delay in the BDO office vis-à-vis preparing estimates for development works. “Our proposal for road side bush cutting is pending in the BDO office since March. Villagers think the panchayat has neglected to take up the bush cutting work, but the problem lies somewhere else,” he rued.
Former Curtorim deputy sarpanch and convenor of Goa Panchayat Raj Institutions, J Santano Rodrigues echoed similar sentiments. “It’s not months, but the BDO office even takes over a year to prepare the estimates,” he said, while demanding to know why the government has not put a fool proof system in place in the BDO office.
Rachol Sarpanch and Vice President of Salcete Panchayat Forum, Joseph Vaz said panchayats across Salcete are suffering for want of the fulltime BDOs. He recalled that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had promised a turnaround in the panchayat administration within six months after the Parrikar government took over the reins in March 2012. “Nothing has changed on the ground. We are still facing shortage of panchayat secretaries,” he said, while hoping that the panchayat administration will receive due attention from the Parsekar government.
