TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Government’s move to hold the Zilla Panchayat and Panchayat polls on party lines have drawn sharp reactions with UGDP leader Radharao Gracias demanding that the government should first bring anti-defection law to curb defections in the panchayats before holding elections on party lines.
South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Nelly Rodrigues also reiterated her objection to the government’s move, even as the Goans for Goa came out strongly against the move.
UGDP leader Radharao Gracias sounded critical of the government’s decision to increase the Zilla Panchayat seats when the government is opposed to devolving powers and functions to these. He also demanded that the government bring an anti-defection law before holding Panchayat poll on party lines. “Zilla Panchayat polls can be held on party lines on condition the government bring the anti-defection law to prevent panchas from defection after the election”, he said.
South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Nelly Rodrigues said the government should first ensure de-centralisation of powers under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment before holding elections on party lines. She also favoured anti-defection law to curb rampant defections at the Panchayat level. “I fail to understand why the government is acting in so haste to hold the ZP polls on party lines. The government had never shown the same haste when it came to the question of devolving powers and functions”, he added. Meanwhile, the Goans for Goa (GFG) has said the government’s move to hold ZP polls on party line will destroy the sensitive grass root bodies. “Instead of holding elections on party lines, the government should focus its energies to get the Zilla bodies to form the district development plans which Goa does not have and then devolve funds to these grassroots bodies as envisaged in the Panchayat Raj Act,” it suggested. “It is a shame that Goa does not have a district development plan for the last many years, and that the District Planning Committee, which was constituted some ten years back, has failed to come up with the DPC”, it observed.
