the goan I network
MARGAO
Special gram sabhas on Gandhi Jayanti Day and on Goa Liberation Day are not new for the panchayat bodies. This year, however, the gram sabhas will have a different agenda to transact on October 2 and December 19 “ to put in place the holistic Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and prepare the road map for the village development.
While the October 2 gram sabha will deliberate on the draft GPDP with participation of the members and experts, the December 19 gram sabha will accord nod for the plan and pave way for the execution of development activities in the villages.
Three years after the Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India launched the GPDP in the State, most of the panchayat bodies appear set to give the final touches for their respective plans.
Says Panchayat Director Ajit Panchwadkar: “The Participatory Gram Panchayat Development Plan is nothing but a road map for development of the village with people’s participation. Panchayats, which have already adopted the GPDP at the gram sabha over the last couple of months will have to place the GPDP plans at the October 2 gram sabha as draft plan. After taking suggestions and consultations, the plan will be placed before the December 19 gram sabha for approval.”
Panchwadkar said funding of the projects under the GPDP will depend on the Resource Envelop, ie funds available under the 14th Finance Commission, panchayat’s own funds and funds available with the government departments. “People’s participation should be the main component of GPDP. Every village will have lawyers, architects, engineers, doctors and other educated people who should be involved in this plan. Once public are involved, there will be a good relation and environment created between the elected representatives and villagers,” Panchwadkar said.
The Panchayat Director even mooted a suggestion for the panchayat bodies to hold Mahila gram sabhas to seek inputs from the village womenfolk on the nature of projects they want in the village. “When I mean projects, they should not necessarily be construction of gutters, drains, pavers, etc, but should even comprise of drinking water amenities, educational facilities, etc,” Panchwadkar said, while addressing a day-long workshop on Participatory gram panchayat development plan for the village panchayats of South Goa at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex on Thursday.
“The GPDP may not get success overnight, but we have to make a beginning. This is a participatory development process involving people at the panchayat level,” he said, adding that the government would recruit additional engineers to prepare estimates for the projects.
Assistant Director, Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD) Dr Seema Fernandes guided the sarpanchas, panchayat secretaries and heads of the Village Development Committees (VDCs) how to go about in the preparation of the draft GPDP plan ahead of the October 2 meeting. “Panchayats can bring awareness amongst the people through various competitions, processions, etc to draw attention of the villagers and motivate them to attend the gram sabhas and give their stamp of approvals for the projects,” she said.
She suggested that the panchayats need not place all the projects in minds before the gram sabha, but shortlist projects depending on the fund availability for execution. “Make the people aware of the fund availability so that they propose only those projects which fits in the funds,” she added.
