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GOACAN protest highlights various issues affecting GramSabhas
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Consumer Forum volunteers held a protest action at Margao near the
office of the Block Development Officer (BDO) Salcete Taluka to
highlight the many pending demands of the Gram Sabha members.
Armed with black flags and placards, the protest action by the Forum
Volunteers was held under the banner of GOACAN.
As part of its Citizens Awareness Campaign Gram Sabha Zagrut Za,
GOACAN submitted a memorandum to the BDO highlighting various
issues like the irregular convening of Gram Sabhas: This is a regular
feature in many Panchayats and the Consumer Forums have repeatedly
reported this to the BDOs office. The delay in convening of the Gram
Sabhas is resulting in increased backlog of reporting of various works
undertaken by the Panchayat, non-communication of various Govt.
schemes, delay in communicating peoples opinion on many Govt.
policies, proposals, amendments etc. as announced in the Govt.
Official Gazette and lack of transparency & accountability on the
performance of the elected Panchayat members.
Delay in setting up Mandatory Committees and obstacles to their
functioning: the very essence of the 73rd Amendment is sought to be
stifled with the Mandatory Committees under Goa Panchayat Raj Act
not being set up i.e. Supervisory Committees, Vigilance Committee,
Social Justice Committee. In fact even the Audit Reports have stated
that the non-functioning of the Committees is affecting the transparency
and accountability of the Panchayats. Those Supervisory Committees
that have been set up have faced a non-co-operative approach from
the Panchayat.
Lack of guidance to members of the Committees to be set up under
various Acts & Guidelines such as the Garbage Management
Committee under The Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control)
Act 1996, the Village Child Committee under the Goa Children’s
Act 2003 and the Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSC)
under the Rural Water Supply & Sanitation Program of the Ministry
of Rural Development (MORD) Government of India.
Organising of Open House sessions at the Panchayat level for every
Panchayat in the Block by the BDOs office is a must to obtain feed
back from the Gram Sabha members on the performance of the
Village Panchayats as well as to inform them of the plans and proposals
of the Directorate to implement the 73rd Amendment and strengthen
grass root democracy.
Popularizing the BDO Complaint Box as a Grievance Redressal
Mechanism for Gram Sabha members is very important, however if the
procedure for receiving and settling such complaints is not publicized
then the entire effort will be counter productive.
Provision & Public Access to log books with tabulated formats to
keep track of Fortnightly Panchayat Meetings, Gram Sabhas and the
submission of the Minutes, setting up of various Committees, their
Meetings and Reports needs to be made.
Training should be given to Gram Sabha members of Salcete Block
on participation in Gram Sabhas, Proposal & Resolution drafting,
Committee Report presentation, preparation of Annual Budget and
Annual Development Plan and the conducting of a Social Audit.
Also, it may be noted that the Ward Development Committees
(WDCs) in the respective Panchayats must be formed and requisite
training be provided to the members so that they can play a significant
role in the preparation of the Annual Plan as part of the grassroots
participatory planning process.
The BDOs office has still not been pro active on this matter thereby
creating the impression that the BDO is not serious about the
involvement of the Gram Sabha members in the planning process
keeping in mind that the plans need to be submitted to the District
Planning Committee by Jan 2010 and in view of the finalisation of the
Goa Regional Plan 2021 by the Goa Town and Country Planning
Department.
Representations from the Betalbatim Civic and Consumer Forum and
the Navelim Civic and Consumer Forum were also submitted to the
BDO highlighting the irregular holding of Gram Sabhas and providing
a detailed record of the Gram Sabhas that have not been held for the
last 3 years.
Copies of the representations have been submitted to the Chief
Secretary Govt. of Goa, Secretary -Panchayati Raj & Community
Development, Govt. of Goa, Dy. Director - Directorate of Panchayats
(South) and Director - Directorate of Public Grievances.
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GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK
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promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa
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GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601
GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507
mail: [email protected]
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