MAPUSA
In a flip-flop, the government withdrew a direction to include the formation of Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) in the agenda for the special gram sabha on October 2 within hours after issuing a memorandum to that effect.On Friday (September 30), Director of Panchayats Siddhi Halarnkar issued an inter-office communication directing all Block Development Officers to include the formation of BMC in the agenda on October 2 as a compulsory agenda point at every gram sabha of the village panchayat.
The memorandum also said that sufficient time may be allocated for the discussion as per the Biodiversity Act, 2002.
But later on the same day, the director issued another memorandum withdrawing the earlier one.
“A fresh memorandum will be issued pertaining to the matter of constitution of biodiversity committees at village panchayats to be taken up in ordinary or extra-ordinary gram sabha,” the director said.
The decision to withdraw the memorandum happened after GOACAN pointed out that the process that was followed to set up the BMC was faulty and done in a hurry and it would have resulted in setting up “ineffective” BMCs.
“Village panchayat committees must be set up only at ordinary meetings of the gram sabha which is attended by a large number of people. The proposal to set up the BMC at a special gram sabha where not many people may attend will defeat the purpose of setting up a vibrant BMC,” said Roland Martins, coordinator of GOACAN.
GOACAN has been advocating skills of “management” and effectiveness of a “committee” including a provision to provide adequate training to the members of the BMC.
