Gram Sabhas form the very foundation of the Panchayati Raj system and our grass-root democratic setup. These are meetings where concerned people of the village converge to discuss and debate over issues, where villagers have an opportunity to put forth concerns of the locality. These are meetings where even bigger policies and crucial decisions are hotly argued, be it coal handling, river nationalization, garbage menace, mega projects or the regional plan. It is here where the voice of the people is heard by the powers that be, irrespective of the fact that there is no legal sanctity to the debates and resolutions that follow.
Directorate of Panchayats has interestingly issued a circular pointing to Section 6 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 that there is no provision for "any other subject with the permission of the chair" and has issued directives that gram sabhas should be restricted to agenda points only. This sudden move appears to be retaliatory as it comes against the backdrop of fierce opposition to coal expansion and river nationalization plans where over 50 gram sabhas have already raised a banner of revolt. While Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar refused to acknowledge the opposition saying that they are outsider voices with ulterior motives, panchayat minister Mauvin Godinho made a sweeping statement on Wednesday that gram sabha resolutions on rivers are meaningless. He went on to add that these resolutions are passed by a bunch of people who may not necessarily represent the entire population in the locality.
Till now no legislator has come on record to belittle the proceedings of gram sabhas in a manner the panchayat minister did, the very same person who was talking of empowerment of local bodies a couple of years back. Being the head of this institution, Mauvin should be working towards making the panchayat movement more vibrant and effective. Showing scant respect to the voices of the people only exposes a disturbed state of mind. The senior politician that Mauvin is, appears to be in a desperate bid to catch up with his other colleagues in the government who have moved higher up the pedestals of power. If Mauvin feels that resolutions passed are because of the views of a handful of people, he as a panchayat minister should take up the responsibility of bring about necessary provisions to ensure greater participation. Discarding voices as minority view is preposterous.
If there is no recognition for the gram sabhas why is the government expecting them to take resolutions congratulating the government for its good work. Why would it matter here? Gram sabhas may have issues of jurisdiction and may not be entitled to go beyond their locality, but there are larger issues that have no boundaries. This is where Goenkarponn comes in. Mauvin should respect the views of the people rather than making statements to please the leadership.
Directorate of Panchayats has interestingly issued a circular pointing to Section 6 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 that there is no provision for "any other subject with the permission of the chair" and has issued directives that gram sabhas should be restricted to agenda points only. This sudden move appears to be retaliatory as it comes against the backdrop of fierce opposition to coal expansion and river nationalization plans where over 50 gram sabhas have already raised a banner of revolt. While Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar refused to acknowledge the opposition saying that they are outsider voices with ulterior motives, panchayat minister Mauvin Godinho made a sweeping statement on Wednesday that gram sabha resolutions on rivers are meaningless. He went on to add that these resolutions are passed by a bunch of people who may not necessarily represent the entire population in the locality.
Till now no legislator has come on record to belittle the proceedings of gram sabhas in a manner the panchayat minister did, the very same person who was talking of empowerment of local bodies a couple of years back. Being the head of this institution, Mauvin should be working towards making the panchayat movement more vibrant and effective. Showing scant respect to the voices of the people only exposes a disturbed state of mind. The senior politician that Mauvin is, appears to be in a desperate bid to catch up with his other colleagues in the government who have moved higher up the pedestals of power. If Mauvin feels that resolutions passed are because of the views of a handful of people, he as a panchayat minister should take up the responsibility of bring about necessary provisions to ensure greater participation. Discarding voices as minority view is preposterous.
If there is no recognition for the gram sabhas why is the government expecting them to take resolutions congratulating the government for its good work. Why would it matter here? Gram sabhas may have issues of jurisdiction and may not be entitled to go beyond their locality, but there are larger issues that have no boundaries. This is where Goenkarponn comes in. Mauvin should respect the views of the people rather than making statements to please the leadership.
