MARGAO
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai on Sunday called for the defeat of candidates backed by the BJP over the ruling party’s failure to take steps for the devolution of powers to the Panchayat Raj Institutions envisaged under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
Sardesai has cautioned the people to beware of candidates, who have been fielded by the political party in favour of making Goa a coal hub, calling for their defeat in the panchayat polls.
Briefing the media on the sidelines of a tree plantation programme at Fatorda on Sunday, the Fatorda MLA reiterated his demand that the Goa government make the panchayats Atmanirbhar and the gram sabhas Swayampurna.
Demanding to know why should the people of Goa vote for the candidates backed by the ruling BJP, Sardesai questioned whether the BJP-backed candidates will do justice to the job, if elected, when the ruling party has no plans to devolve powers to the Panchayat Raj institutions. “Today, we have heard BJP State leaders saying they have no idea whether any of the Congress candidates are joining the party and the High Command in Delhi will decide. They have been literally reduced to the position of peons in the party by the party leadership. The same fate will befall on the panchas elected on the BJP banner,” he added.
Reiterating his stand that the ensuing panchayat polls is a farce, Sardesai said the new set of panchas, who will be elected in the August 10 polls, will have no powers to realise their dreams of taking the village forward for want of powers envisaged under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. “This important Constitutional Amendment has envisaged village and ward development committees, State Finance Commissions, etc. Have the Goa government implemented the recommendation of the second Finance Commission and constituted the third Finance Commission,” he demanded to know.
