---------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED ---------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN to launch “GRAMSABHA ZAGRUT ZA” Awareness Campaign -------------------------------------------------------- The Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) will observe a 60 days long awareness campaign to highlight the importance of people's right to participate in the decision making process at the Village and State level. The awareness campaign GRAMSABHA ZAGRUT ZA which will focus on the need to make democracy work for Goa, its people and ecology will be launched on Sunday 23rd August 2009 with a clarion call to citizens not to Agonise but Organise to bring about the Social Change that is required in Goan society. The implications of the recent Legislations, Ordinances and Amendments that have been put forward by the Goa Govt. and passed by the Goa Legislative Assembly such as the Goa Panchayat (Amendment) Bill 2009 and the Goa Health Services Development Act 2008 will be discussed during the campaign. Various issues such as the land acquisition of fertile paddy fields, finalization of the Regional Plan 2021, amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act, growth of illegal mining, impacts of Casinos & Sex Tourism, continued Air & Water pollution in Industrial Estates, indiscriminate hill cutting and land conversion will be highlighted during the awareness campaign. The campaign will highlight the need for people to respond at the local level to the over 300 deaths caused by road accidents annually, the dismal law & order situation which has seen a rise in heinous crimes on women & children, increase in thefts & dacoities, bank frauds & cyber crimes and the constant threat of religious fundamentalism and terrorism affecting the peace of Goan society. While the formation of Ward Development Committees (WDC), effective functioning of the Supervisory Committee, Village Child Committee, Garbage Management Committee and greater participation of the elected Women representatives would be emphasised upon during the Campaign, the need to form Committees at the Village Panchayat level for Health & Sanitation, Road Safety & Traffic Management and Environmental Protection will also be highlighted. The Campaign will also highlight the importance of mobilizing citizens to attend the Gram Sabhas, prepare proposals for discussion & resolution, scrutinize the Minutes, Budgets and Audit reports. The effective use of the Right To Information Act 2005 in getting information on project licences, beneficiaries in Govt. schemes, expenditure undertaken, as well as the biases displayed in recovering outstanding house tax and other dues will be highlighted. The Campaign will also highlight the Civic & Consumer Forum supported struggles of the farmers of Davorlim, Aquem Baixo, Navelim, Raia and Nuvem against Land Acquisition of their paddy fields, the struggle of residents of Pateapur against a mega luxury Resort and indiscriminate & illegal quarrying so as to emphasize the importance of struggle based unity of progressive peoples organisations for effective intervention at the village Gram Sabhas. The need for greater transparency & accountability in Govt. policies on agriculture, food security, chemical fertilizers & pesticides, climate change, ground water protection as well as the implications of drought conditions and market prices of food at the national level on consumers in Goa will also be covered during the campaign. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa --------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mail: [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------
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