MARGAO
Ruling BJP’s call to the Panchayats and Municipalities to adopt resolutions seeking withdrawal of DPR by the Centre on Mhadei has thrown up a host of questions, with some saying the ruling party has copied the Saxtti model of resolving burning issues and may come as a boost to activists working at the grass-root Panchayat bodies often hounded by the powers that be to shoot down ill-conceived projects and plans inimical to the interest of the village.
In fact, resolutions adopted at gram sabha, normally shot down by the powers that be on the plea the issue does not fall in the Panchayat domain, may gain legitimacy with the ruling BJP deciding to go to the grass roots to obtain resolutions against the Centre’s DPR on Mhadei.
City-based lawyer and Political commentator, Adv Cleofato Coutinho said the BJP’s decision to go to the panchayats and Municipalities to seek resolutions on Mhadei appears the Saxtti way of deciding controversial issues “ adopting resolutions at the panchayat and gram sabha against projects.
He, however, sought to know how can the ruling party go to the panchayats and Municipalities for resolutions on Mhadei when the party is not only in power in Goa, but at the Centre as well as in Karnataka.
“It is apparent the ruling party is trying to use the people. When you are in power in Delhi as well as in Goa and Karnataka, I fail to understand why the ruling party need resolutions from the Panchayats and Municipalities to decide Mhadei. If the ruling party has the will to protect the interest of Goa, it can take a decision in Panjim and in Delhi because they are in power”, he said.
Saying the BJP seemed to have adopted the Saxtti style of functioning by going to the grass-root bodies to decide on the burning issue, Cleofato said the ruling party’s decision will give some legitimacy to the grass root movements initiated by activists, whose movement in the past were derailed on the plea the Panchayats have no power to decide.
Activist Dominik Norohna pointed out that a Party trying to now run to the grass root level for help is a welcome move. He, however, had a question to the BJP leadership, “When the interest is of our State, why only BJP-run panchayats should take the resolutions”, he sought to know.
Norohna further questioned whether this trend of going to the panchayats and Municipalities will continue and the resolutions adopted in public interest by the Panchayats will be honoured in the future. “We hope better sense prevails with the ruling Government to save Goa”, he added.
Another prominent activist reminded the ruling BJP and the government that social activists and people working at the grass-roots had in the past come under attack from the ruling dispensation and the Powers that be for using the local bodies to stall projects in the villages.
In fact, activists had come at the receiving end of the powers that be at the Panchayat level over the decade and half for raising issues such as mega housing projects, SEZ, airport, track doubling project et al on the plea that these issues does not come under the domain of the local bodies. “When Saxtti countryside reverberated to cries against mega housing projects and other ill conceived projects, the powers that be used to derail by agitation on the plea the matter does not fall in the Panchayat jurisdiction”, remarked an activist, adding “will the ruling party explain the provision in the Goa Panchayat Act and the Goa Municipalities empowering the Panchayats and Municipalities to adopt resolution asking the Centre to withdraw the DPR on Mhadei”.
