On December 12th Goa will hold the needless and inconsequential Zilla Panchayat elections. In the midst of this worrisome pandemic with an average of 150 COVD -19 cases being detected daily, the government is endangering the lives of the polling staff and public in general. The over stretched police force which is bracing for next week’s visit by the President of India will be also overburdened with these farcical elections which are ironically being held while Section 144 is invoked in the State.
The Government infact ought to have in public interest scrapped this unnecessary idling extra layer of governance and instead vested more powers to the Panchayats. A very small State like Goa does not need these powerless Zilla Panchayats which since its inception having been thirsting for powers. The cash strapped Goa Government which is borrowing galore to tide up its expenditure, needs to ensure that every paisa from the State exchequer is very judiciously spent. It is particularly appalling when expenses are recklessly incurred on non-priority areas. It is an irony that the State cries over lack of funds while at the same time we see very glaring unjustified expenditure. Fiscal accountability and responsibility has to be an ongoing sustained process. It is the bounden duty and responsibility of the authorities to work towards restoring Goa back on the road to economic recovery. For rationalization in government spending, strong and honest austerity measures need to be taken at all levels with criminal waste of public funds on superfluous expenditure strictly prohibited. Scrapping of the Zilla Panchayats would have been a step in the right direction. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: [email protected] Or [email protected] You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com
