MAPUSA
Gram sabhas may be a mandatory meetings to be conducted in villages, but they have become extremely rare in Anjuna.
The Anjuna Panchayat has earned the dubious distinction of failing to conduct a single ordinary gram sabha for 2015, thereby depriving residents to voice their opinion or even debate on issues plaguing the village.
In fact, Anjuna Panchayat had conducted only one gram sabha in August last year, but this was the gram sabha that was carried forward from 2014.
Besides Anjuna, three other panchayats in Bardez have also failed to complete the mandatory four gram sabhas in 2015.
The village panchayats of Arpora-Nagao, Candolim and Nerul have managed to conduct only two gram sabhas last year.
The Bardez BDO has taken note of the blatant dereliction of duty of the Anjuna Panchayat and has written to the Director, Directorate of Panchayat against the stubborn act of the panchayat.
“Since the panchayat failed to conduct a single gram sabha last year, the BDO had fixed a date and urged the panchayat to conduct a gram sabha last year. But the panchayat failed to even adhere to that direction. We have now written to the Director of Panchayat for necessary action,” said Krishnakant Pangam, BDO at Bardez.
Deputy Sarpanch, Savio Almeida has, however, blamed the administration for failure to conduct the gram sabhas on time.
“Our panchayat, which is a big panchayat, has made a history of sorts. In the last three years, from the time of our term, nine secretaries have been transferred, throwing the whole administration in disarray,” said Almeida.
He said the panchayat faced practical difficulties like carrying out of day-to-day duties, attending court matters and attending to other official calls.
But when questioned as to what prevented the panchayat from conducting gram sabhas on Sundays, the deputy sarpanch shot back: “The panchayat did not receive any complaints from the locals.”
“No one has come to us with a written complaint for not conducting a gram sabha, and therefore, I presume people are happy,” the deputy sarpanch argued.
He then went on to say that there were a few people with a vested interest who wanted the gram sabhas to raise unnecessary personal issues, rather than speak on development.
Every panchayat has to conduct four ordinary gram sabhas and four special gram sabhas in a year.
The ordinary gram sabhas have to be conducted in January, April, July and October. The special gram sabhas are held on January 26, August 15, October 2 and December 19.
The BDO deputes a representative for every gram sabha as an observer, who then gives report about the proceedings to the BDO.
