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The Rape of Goa - A photo documentary
by
Rajan P. Parrikar
Venue: Menezes Braganza Art Gallery, Panjim, May 21-24, 2008
http://www.parrikar.org/misc/doc-notice.pdf
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Mario,
If you must know, Panchayats, under the present Panchayati Raj Act are
just instruments of power and might in the hands of the people in power.
Time and again we have said that the Panchayats cannot be devolved with
power as visualised in the 73rd ammendment without amending the entire Act
completely and turning it around. In this case, the MLas and the Ministers
will rule the roost. If the devolution of powers are effected as according
to the 73rd amendment, the entire power balance will shift from top to
bottom and no one will be interested in contesting the legislative assembly
elections to become CMs and Ministers and MLAs any more, because, there
will be no money to be made there. Instead they will all l rush to become
sarpanchas and panchas.
One thing good will come out of this is that with no one ( crooks like
Narvekars et al ) wanting to contest assembly elections, people like you
and me who are non-electable in this present situation, will face no
challenge, as going up there will only be ornamental with no means of
making tonnes of money. But the trick is that if I and you who become just
ornaments to adorne the august benches of the legislative assembly, then we
could bring in the laws to simulate the 'dog-in- the-manger' attitide in the
governance for once, in that, if we cannot eat-up the government treasury
and become fat, we can stop it being eaten -up by anyone else down the line
in the Zillas and the Panchayats too. I and you will design laws to ensure
that even a single rupee at the lower end cannot be siphoned out of the
system. That means the tenders will be smart tenders without percentages
flying like kites, roads will get their due tar contents and will last for
10 years or more and bridges will not fall even of old age, just like the
old Patto bridge. People will get what they want for the money spent and the
best thing that will happen is that the mad rush at the zilla and panchayat
levels will reduce and those who thought they could make a lot of money
there will now not be interested at all and go about rediscovering their old
and forgotten fields to cultivate to get some food on their evening plate
rather than spend their time and money in cultivating vote-banks. That
means Cedrico's beloved monti-dongor will melt sending the migrants back to
their own Karnataka. :-)) , and Digamger Kamat will join Datta Naik to
actually work hard at digging up their construction projects themselves and
sweating.
The change will be irreversible, unless one thing happens. That you and I
team-up to subvert the lower distribution line of milk and honey.
What guarantee is there that we shall not get into this mode???? The surest
way will be to go to the august benches of the assembly with our hands
amputated so that we may not fill up our own pockets.
As far as Gram Sabhas are concerned, it is just a lot of 'gas' and the
people in power know that. It is like a sudden build up of pressure in the
cylinder in which it is contained. Release some of the pressure and the
cylinder will lie there innert and harmless as long as one wants. Gram
Sabhas are equal to only a few master minds and dedicated persons who refuse
to be blown to and fro with the existing winds. Take them out and you have
nothing.
If that is not true, try giving the gram sabhas the actual powers to enact
legislations and to run the villages according to those legislations and see
if anyone will want to attend gram sabhas any more. It will be excuses and
excuses all over the place with no one wanting to take responsibilities for
anything.
The question and the uproar with the mega projects is that the panchayat
members must unfold these mega projects in front of their electors first
before forwarding these to the higher authorities so that these are
discussed at whatever level it is required to and come to terms with them.
These projects are not routine projects like small individual housing etc
for which the panchayats are elected to approve in the first place.
Also, if the concrned village has no infrastructure like garbage clearance,
power, water, roads etc these items will be pointed out and the concerned
agencies and/or government departments like Health, PWD, Electricity Dept.
will be vary of giving their NOCs for these projects and these will be
stalled to start with until the required infrastructures are put in place.
Therefore, it goes without saying that the people (read Gram Sabhas) will
have no axe to grind if the projects are approved after the infrastructure
demands are met.
Also, there is a provision in the law that the higher authorities must
either approve a file or reject it within a stipulated period of time once
it is forwarded to them by the panchayats. If the same files are forwarded
to them with the respective notings as prompted by the people's
apprehensions (Gram Sabhas), there is likelyhood that these authorities will
reject these files and that will be that. No promoter will lose any money,
except that relating to the designing of the project.
Why complicate things when they can be kept simple as ever????? Who is in a
hurry here, the promoter of a project, the panchayat or the people???
Answer these questions and we have the solution.
b/rgds
floriano
goasuraj
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mario Goveia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 11:48 PM
Subject: [Goanet] A calmer approach to Residential Land Management
Tue May 20 03:01:48 PDT 2008
From Carvalho elisabeth_car at yahoo.com
Ideally land development, especially in the case of
a small state like Goa, must come under the purview of
an overall Planning Office. Power can be devolved to
the Panchayats to institute the directives of the
office but not to create or repeal directives.
This office in consultation with local bodies must
ensure through set guidelines and zoning laws:
Mario observes:
Whew! It seems like the period of insults hurled in
all directions while defending the status quo that has
created an unsightly mess in Goa is thankfully over,
at least for the time being:-))
In doing so, she has sent Floriano into a paroxysm of
uncontrollable ecstasy:-)) It must be because of her
continued preference for state government control and
central planning at the expense of those closest to
the problem, the Village Panchayats and Gram Sabhas.
As we have seen, these entities have been effective in
blocking a growing number of projects in village after
village as Gadgil has reported. I would reform them
where necessary, but to shove them aside or disrespect
them could be counterproductive.
