HERALD: Do you think the delimitation process should be more transparent, moreso when the matter this year had hit the headlines like never before?
Mauvin: Not only delimitation, even reservations should have been more transparent. By the time the next elections are held, I will ensure this happens. We have to amend the Panchayati Raj Act and plug the loopholes. We did whatever was best and transparent within the limited timeframe. but yes, some finetuning is required, which I will try to accomplish it by the next elections.
HERALD: Do you think political parties have been channelising their energies on the panchayats despite it being envisaged as an independent body?
Mauvin: There is always an indirect attempt to influence the outcome of the elections by all political parties. There is always an attempt to see to it that panchayats fully support them because it does help when Assembly or Lok Sabha elections are around. But as far as this election is concerned, all these things which used to happen on a much larger scale in the past have now been plugged in such a way that there has been minimal interference by whoever in the delimitation process or the reservation process. Unless you have a system in place you can’t have zero interference or zero influence or no attempts to manipulate the processes. All these are under consideration and I will be applying my mind and necessary action will be taken after the elections.
HERALD: What is your take on the demand to provide more autonomy and powers to the Panchayats?
Mauvin: It’s a very tricky situation. On one hand, if you give the Zilla Panchayats little power, they are clearly treading on the toes of members of the Panchayat, including the Sarpanch. If you try to give them (panchayats) little power, you have them stamping the feet of the elected members of the Legislative Assembly. Goa. Being a very small state, it is a very tricky balance but having said that I will still try to see that the panchayats are able to function in a autonomous manner but it will be power with responsibility. They will not be able to do what they want. I’m privy to the information that half the panchayats manipulate the situation on the ground and get such hopeless situation into play that people get totally frustrated and that frustration gets manifested in many ways.
HERALD: Would you be considering to allocate more funds to the panchayats?
Mauvin: The Centre definitely wants to give us more funds and it will be my endeavour to give as much more funds as possible. But what I have noticed in my short tenure is that even the existing funds as against the existing schemes have not been utilised simply because the panchayats have not forwarded their proposals. Therefore, our BDOs and other officers also have to act as the catalyst to guide our sarpanchas, deputy sarpanchas and panchas into translating the schemes into something good for the people at the grassroot level. It is also their responsibility.
HERALD: What do you have to say on the issue of MLAs being accused of treating the Panchas and Sarpanchas as their subordinate?
Mauvin: I would not agree with that at all. In every sphere you have people who if you ask them to bend, they will crawl or if you ask them to do something then they’ll fall flat and then you have situations where people above you are being blamed, may be the MLA or anyone else higher. It is not correct. Everybody has their own domain of functioning and their own freedom to function and that much of an autonomy to function in a panchayat without any interference is there. But when you yourself do the manipulation and set the wrong trend, then you need the help of the MLA or the government and all that happens.
