A handful of gram sabha members of Dramapur-Sirlim Panchayat seen outside the Panchayat ghar seeking postponement of the meeting.
MARGAO: Salcete Block Development Officer’s fiat to the village Panchayats in the taluka to hold the gram sabhas on Sunday post-second wave Covid pandemic went abegging.
Even as many thought that Salcete’s countryside will reverberate to protests and cries against the controversial Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021, the anticipated gram sabhas in as many as 17 out of the 30 village panchayats in the taluka failed to take place.
Even the lone gram sabha called by the Dramapur-Sirlim village Panchayat on Sunday was adjourned following objections raised by the members over the absence of propaganda and awareness when the meeting was scheduled to discuss the serious issue involving the Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill.
Salcete BDO Amitesh Shirvoikar had convened the gram sabhas of as many as 17 village panchayats on Sunday after the sarpanchas had failed to convene the meeting scheduled in July 2021. Gram sabhas of the remaining 13 panchayats have been called next Sunday.
Village Panchayats of Ambelim, Velim, Assolna, Chinchinim, Dramapur-Sirlim, Sarzora, Sao Jose de Areal, Navelim, Aquem-Baixio, Telaulim, Davorlim-Dicarpale, Rumdamol, Macazana, Chandor, Guirdolim, Paroda and Rachol were directed to hold the gram sabhas on Sunday (22 August).
‘The Goan’ called up the Sarpanchas or the panchayat members to find out the number of panchayats out of the 17 bodies that were told to hold the gram sabhas, only to find none of the Panchayat bodies, barring Dramapur-Sirlim, had convened the meeting on Sunday.
The reasons cited by the Sarpanchas and members were varied and different and in no way challenged the diktat issued by the Salcete BDO Shirvoikar.
Most of the Sarpanchas, when called by The Goan, pointed out that the Salcete BDO’s circular was issued only recently, hardly giving the panchayat bodies the time to convene the meetings. Pointing out that the Goa Panchayat Raj Act has a laid down procedure on how to conduct the Gram sabhas, the Sarpanchas said minimum time needs to be given to the members to send their suggestions and proposals for discussions at the meeting. “The BDO’s directions had hardly left any time for the Panchayat bodies to comply with the mandatory procedure laid down in the Act to hold the gram Sabha. That was the major reason why some of the Panchayats could not hold the gram sabhas on Sunday”, remarked a Sarpanch.
That’s not all. Sarpanchas pointed out that they have to tread a cautious approach in times of Covid pandemic, least they come under fire from the gram sabha members.
Another Sarpanch pointed out that the Panchayat recently held the special gram sabha on the occasion of Independence Day, adding that the gram sabha will be held either on coming Sunday or the following one.
Interestingly, a couple of Sarpanchas were unaware of the BDO’s directions to hold the gram sabha on Sunday, only promising to check the correspondence on Monday.
The Aquem-Baixio gram sabha, sources said could not take place in the absence of the Sarpanch as the post has fallen vacant following the resignation by the incumbent Sarpanch.
SALCETE BDO’s DIRECTIONS DATED AUG 13
In exercise of the Powers conferred by sub-section 4 of section 5 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, I Amitesh A Shirvoikar, the Block Development officer I & II of Salcete do hereby convene an ordinary gram sabha meeting of the village Panchayats of Salcete block on the date and place as shown against their name as the Sarpanch of the respective village panchayats has failed to convene the ordinary gram sabha meeting in the month of July 2021 as specified in sub-section (1) of Section 5 of the Goa panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
The Village Panchayat Secretaries of the respective village Panchayats are directed to comply with the procedure as required under the Goa Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 and the rules to hold the gram sabha meeting by adhering to the various restrictions imposed upon by the district Administration and order to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and shall submit the copy of the notice of the gram sabha at this office.
THE SABHA THAT WASN’T
AT DRAMAPUR-SIRLIM
MARGAO: The Dramapur-Sirlim gram sabha was adjourned by Sarpanch Sanjana Chari after some of the members raised objections to the meeting for want of adequate awareness and propaganda.
Gram sabha member Wilson Viegas said the Panchayat did not make the necessary propaganda to inform the members about the gram sabha. He said the meeting date and time was not announced at the local places of worship
Another gram sabha member and Chairman of the Bio-diversity committee, Domnick Norohna said the Panchayat ought to have carried out the propaganda by deploying a vehicle when the meeting was scheduled to discuss an important issue such as the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill 2021.
Sources informed that less than 20 members had turned up for the gram sabha and it was finally decided to adjourn the meeting to a future date.
