the goan I network
MARGAO
It’s close to a year now since the government had announced ambitious plans to revive the Block Advisory Committees (BACs), but these taluka panels have still not seen light of the day.
On the contrary, the government is doing a serious re-think on having these BACs at the taluka level, even before they are constituted as per the notification.
The talukas Block Advisory Committees (BACs) were in place in the state before they were they were scrapped after the setting up of the Zilla Panchayats around two decades ago.
Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho went a step further and told The Goan on Wednesday that though he had made an announcement to revive the taluka-level BACs in the past, a serious exercise is underway whether to have the BACs given that decisions made the taluka bodies are only recommendatory in nature, and not binding on the authorities.
“No doubt, I had made an announcement on the floor of the House to constitute the BACs at the taluka level. I agree even a notification was issued by the government last year, but we are now seriously engaged in doing a re-think on these panels given that they are only recommendatory bodies in nature,” Godinho told The Goan.
In fact, Godinho pointed out that he would go back to the House and place a report on the future of BACs after the completion of the ongoing consultation process.
“There are so many committees and panchayat bodies. We are doing a serious re-think on whether we really need these BACs,” he added.
The Notification issued in December last year pointed out that the government proposes to reconstitute the Block Advisory Committees for every block to advise the Block Development Officers in implementation of the developmental schemes and for direct interaction between the officials and non-officials.
In fact, the December notification had even reserved the post of chairperson of the blocks of Bardez, Mormugao, Quepem and Sattari reserved for women, while the post of vice-chairperson in the blocks of Bicholim, Pernem, Salcete and Tiswadi were reserved for women. That’s not all. As per the notification, the initial term of the BAC shall be up to August 31, 2020.
The MP of the district, MLAs of the concerned constituency, elected ZP members, sarpanchas of the village panchayats, besides one member of the Mahila Shakti Abhiyan nominated by the government and co-opted and nominated members were designated as members of the taluka BAC.
Convenor of the Goa Panchayati Raj Institutions, Santan J Rodrigues pointed out that it is sad that the government has not set up the BACs for close to a year now after the notification.
“We are observing the 57th year of Goa Panchayats on Thursday, and there are several issues playing the local Panchayat bodies,” Santan said, while hoping that the government will come clear on the proposed BACs.
