MARGAO
With majority of the village panchayats spread across Salcete defaulting in holding gram sabha meeting scheduled in the month of July, the Salcete Block Development Office has invoked powers under the Goa Panchayat Raj Act to convene the ordinary gram sabha meeting of as many as 14 village panchayats spread across the taluka.
In another development, the village panchayats of Davorlim-Dicarpale, Telaulim, Assolna and Cavelossim have convened the gram sabha meetings on August 9.
In an order passed on July 31, Salcete BDO Adarsh Desai has exercised powers conferred by Section 5 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 by convening the ordinary gram sabha meeting of the 14 village panchayats on August 9.
In his order, the BDO stated that the sarpanchas of the respective village panchayats have failed to convene the ordinary gram sabha meetings in the month of July 2026 as specified in Sub-Section (1) of Section 5 of the Goa Panchayat Act.
The order has issued directions to the village panchayat secretaries of the respective village panchayats to comply with the procedure as requested under the Act and the rules to hold the gram sabha.
The number of village panchayats which has found mention in the order issued by BDO Desai for failing to hold the July gram sabha includes Ambelim, Aquem-Baixo, Assolna, Chandor, Chinchinim, Davorlim, Guirdolim, Macasana, Paroda, Rumdamol, Sao Jose de Areal, Sarzora, Telaulim and Velim.
Incidentally, Telaulim deputy Sarpanch Steven Goes told The Goan that the Panchayat could not hold the July gram sabha since the panchayat was preoccupied with the audit.
While BDO Desai has listed 14 village panchayats for their failure to hold the July gram sabha, it is not clear how many panchayats falling in the jurisdiction of BDO Nimisha Fal Desai have not convened the July gram sabhas.
The delay in holding the mandatory gram sabhas assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that most of the village Panchayats were yet to schedule the meetings for the month of July.
