TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Perturbed over the announcement to amend the Goa Panchayat and Zilla Panchayat (Election Procedure) Rules 1996 to allow political parties to contest local government polls, the Goa Panchayati Raj Institutions Union has asked the government to rethink its decision.
In a letter to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, the Goa Panchayat Raj Institutions Union has requested him to roll back the decision, questioning the motive of the government on this decision. It has urged a separate act for ZPs considering that village panchayats and ZPs are two separate elected bodies with separate functions, powers, duties and responsibilities.
“The state government appoints the finance commissions but no serious attention is paid to act on the recommendations made by them, with the result that ZPs are neither given the powers nor finances, to be effective and productive. Under these circumstances, it is not known as to what the government expects from these institutions,” Convener J Santano Rodrigues said, fearing that the cabinet decision could have serious repercussions.
In another letter, North Goa Zilla Panchayat member Suresh Palkar has written to Governor Mridula Sinha requesting her not to issue the ordinance amending the rules.
“The public in general, particularly in villages, vehemently oppose this move which is against the objective of Panchayati Raj institutions in Goa. The only reason given by the cabinet for holding these elections on political party lines is “the chair of the chairperson has become musical chair,” Palkar, who represents St Cruz constituency, said in his letter to the governor.
He alleged that allowing ZP elections on political party lines will result in further accumulation of powers in the hands of parties and their bosses.
“People will have only the right to vote, but that too not by choice but by compulsion and no right to elect. It is therefore my considered opinion that elections are not required to be conducted on these (party) lines,” he added.
The decision has also invited resentment from civil society.
