MARGAO
South Goa Member of Parliament Captain Viriato Fernandes on Monday raised the issue of implementing the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in Panchayati Raj in Goa.
Raising the issue in Parliament during Zero Hour, the Congress MP said the 73rd Amendment envisages the Gram Sabha as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System to perform functions and powers entrusted to it by the State Legislatures.
He said the Act was enacted by the government in 1992 to address these issues and improve local self-governance. “The primary goal of the 73rd Amendment Act was to democratically decentralise authority and resources from the centre to locally elected Panchayat members in order to increase citizen participation in governance,” he said.
Captain Viriato highlighted the ill-conceived land use laws being enacted in Goa, which are set to convert large-scale agricultural, orchard, forest, and NDZ areas into settlements, despite Gram Sabha resolutions passed by the villagers. He said this made it even more crucial to implement the 73rd Amendment to prevent Goa’s destruction and stop the state from turning into a coal hub.
