I understand April 24 is Panchayat Raj day and it is high time the Director of Panchayats and the politicians and their henchmen allow the people freely without fear or favour to express their views and put forward their problems. The major ills are that government secretaries and observers do not /are not capable or permitted to do their job. Sarpanchas have not been conducting the meeting properly, minutes are not recorded correctly, agenda not drawn up as per people’s wishes, questions not answered and no follow up, bedlam and shouting, meetings being adjourned and I can go on and on! We are a democracy and we have control freaks in the government and opinion makers hogging the limelight. There must be open debates and reflection on gram sabha powers and funding and help realize Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of true democracy at grass roots level.
