We fought hard for our freedom and liberty, giving ourselves a Constitution to ensure people’s empowerment from the grassroots! Towards this end, we constituted Gram Sabhas where all adults over 18 years could attend and elected Panchayat members who would implement the development and welfare decisions democratically taken. Independence gave us the right to be free to choose, be creative and different. Without this, a person is a thing, an instrument of the government. The frequent changes in our Panchayati Raj by engineered no-confidence motions, and the transfer of secretaries, many politically motivated by the local MLA and vested interests, not only sabotage grassroots governance but damage progress for the villagers and the village. For example, in Curtorim, 4 sarpanches and 4 secretaries changed in 4 years. In Raia, 6 sarpanches, 6 secretaries and 2 deputies, sometimes one secretary attending different Panchayats, and so on! This is reportedly happening all over Goa! The Director of Panchayats bears a great responsibility! The people also need to be more aware and, these days, will have to assertively fight for their rights by attending and taking part in great numbers to overrule powerful vested interests and not become instruments of those in power.
