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August 20 - WORLD GOA DAY
Celebrating the inclusion of Konkani in the 8th schedule of the
Indian Constitution on August 20, 1992
For a list of World Goa Day events see:
http://worldgoaday2009.blogspot.com
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GBA unites with p'yat body against Act amendment
TNN 21 August 2009, 04:41am IST
PANAJI: The demand to scrap the controversial amendment to the Goa Panchayat
Raj Act
received a major boost on Thursday with the Goa Bachao Abhiyan joining the All
Goa
Panchayat Members' Movement.
"There is only one alternative to democracy, and that is more democracy," GBA's
Dr
Oscar Rebello told the large assembly of panch members and citizens from North
and
South Goa at the Panaji church hall.
Rebello said this fight (against the amendment) is essentially to give back
powers,
not to sarpanchas and panchas, but to the village gram sabhas. In this fight,
said
Rebello, the strength of the sarpanchas is the gram sabhas or the people. He
also
said that the amendment is a tacit admission by the government that it is
unable to
convince the people, but is steamrolling its way through draconian laws.
If Rebello evoked passion, GBA co-convenor Sabina Martins cited reasons why the
amendment should be scrapped. The amendment gives village panchayat secretaries
powers to execute a decision of the appellate authority in any appeal if the
village
panchayat fails to execute it.
Martins said the director of panchayats or the deputy director, who are the
appellate authorities, are not neutral.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/goa/GBA-unites-with-pyat-body-against-Act-amendment/articleshow/4917169.cms
