MARGAO
The ground reality, however, is different. Welcome to Varca, the coastal village in Salcete taluka, where the ruling four-member group rotated the chair amongst the four members, without giving any room or occasion for anyone to resort to a no-trust motion to dislodge a sitting sarpanch or deputy sarpanch. Here, the ruling group ensured a smooth transition of power to their successors by rotating the chair amongst themselves as per the agreed term.
Take note, members of the ruling group comprising Luiza Rodrigues, Charlton Lourenco, Simon Fernandes and Tracy Fernandes “ who all became sarpanchas during the current term -- were not part of any pre-poll panel that contested the election for the Varca panchayat in 2012. They just came together after the poll and agreed for the rotation of the post of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch for the next five years for the common good of the village and to provide a stable panchayat.
Says former sarpanch Charlton Lourenco: “If I am not mistaken, it was on May 27, 2012 soon after the panchayat election results were out that that the four of us decided to come together and form a panel to do something good for the village. Since the post of deputy sarpanch was reserved for women, it was decided that the post would be shared between Tracy Fernandes and Luiza Rodrigues with two and half year terms. For the post of sarpanch, the group resolved to rotate the post amongst the four members, with the male members getting one and half year each and the balance two years to be equally shared amongst the two lady members”.
The four-member group chose Luiza Rodrigues as the first sarpanch of the current term since the remaining three members of the group were all freshers in panchayat politics.
“Three out of the four members of the group were all first-time members of the panchayat body. So, the mantle fell on Luiza Rodrigues to head the body for a year since she was a village panch earlier,” Charlton added.
Luiza recalled that she took over the reigns of office at a time when there was a ban on issuance of construction licences by the village panchayat over the body’s failure to tackle the garbage menace. “All the panchayat members with the full cooperation of the villagers set out on the task of addressing the waste problem immediately after taking over office. We roped in environmentalist Clinton Vaz to assist the panchayat to tide over the problem. Our sustained efforts finally bore fruit as the ban was lifted a year and half later by the Pollution Control Board after taking cognisance of the panchayat’s efforts in garbage management,” Luiza recalled.
Both Luiza and Charlton pointed out that the group did not suffer from trust deficit as members stepped down from office as per the rotation agreement.
“There was never any occasion when a member had to be reminded to step down from office to make way for others. Members had trust in each other and they honoured their word. There was also no interference from MLA Caitu Silva. And he helped the body whenever the panchayat approached him,” Luiza pointed out.
Her successor, Charlton said that the ruling group’s biggest achievement was to get the construction ban lifted after sustained efforts on the garbage management front.
“Dry waste was initially lifted bi-monthly. But, now it is being lifted four times a month,” Charlton said, adding that the panchayat also started the panchayat football cup to give a boost to sport activities in the village.
