Team Herald
MARGAO: The code of conduct that has come into force affected the gram sabhas that were scheduled on Sunday in Salcete with the Orlim panchayat postponing the meeting and the Chandor Cavorim not approving the budget even though at other villages the budget was approved by the Gram sabhas.
As Orlim panchayat had received correspondence that pertained to developmental works the panchayat body decided to postpone the gram sabha as people would be agitated if their correspondence was not taken up for discussion.
Besides they argued that the budget also pertains to developmental works and hence said it was better to postpone the gram sabha. Chandor Cavorim panchayat also did not take up the budget and Sarpanch Edward D’Silva assured the people that the budget would be approved at a specially convened gram sabha as soon as the code of conduct is over.
The Secretary Dinesh Gaonkar said that people’s amendments to the proposed budget could not be taken on record due to the code of conduct being in force.
Some of the villagers in Chandor Cavorim questioned the panchayat on how they could allow only some issues to be discussed while not allowing others and the Sarpanch explained that it was done only to adhere to the code of conduct.
One villager suggested that it would have been better to postpone the gram sabha instead of having a truncated one where villagers could not raise the issues dear to them only because of the code of conduct and implied that the panchayat was using the code of conduct selectively to avoid questions that would be embarrassing to it.
