PANJIM: Following the National Women’s Parliament and National Youth Parliament, the National Panchayat Parliament was held on Friday, at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Taleigao Plateau.
Like the two other parliaments, various ceremonies were held for this Panchayat Parliament session as well and those elected representatives and urban bodies that had performed well were felicitated.
Senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane was praised for having completed 50 years as a Legislator and the fact that he had witnessed the growth of not only the country but grassroots level democracy in the form of panchayats and municipalities etc was highlighted.
Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Rajesh Patnekar spoke about how the panch members, Zilla panch members as well as municipal councillors are crucial for reflecting the aspirations and demands of the public.
While various other MLAs including ministers and former ministers from Goa spoke at the event, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant questioned the commitment of a section of panch members and the reason why they had joined politics.
He also referred to the vision document the government had prepared as well as the economic revival plan for village panchayats that had been prepared by the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) and the Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD).
He added that for the government to achieve its goals, it is necessary that panch members are fully aware about all this as they are usually the first point of contact for the public at the grassroot level.
He added that the public can visit the panchayats or municipalities to apply for schemes as opposed to having to visit various government offices.
Finally, the Chief Minister praised the success of “Swayampurna Goa” mission.
Sawant added that through the “Swayampurna Mitras”, the government has managed to keep a better track of panchayat related works and also get feedback from the public, right from Pernem to Canacona.
The Chief Minister also called on the panchayats to prepare plans for the Finance Commission so as to get better benefits and also to help people who have been facing long-pending issues related to Forest Rights etc.
