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VPs to hold 4th gram sabha in Jan
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The Panchayat Raj Cell of Peaceful Society has declared that the fourth
gram sabha for the financial year 2002-2003 should be convened by all
village panchayats on any Sunday in this month and urged citizens to
ensure that minutes of the gram sabha are written during the meeting
to avoid manipulations.
The Gram Sabha meeting rules also require that the Gram Sabha
should be convened at 11 am and it is not left to the discretion of the
sarpanch or the secretary to decide the time, the Cell said in a press
note issued here.
The cell has made it clear that as per the Panchayati Raj Act and the rules
framed under it, ordinary gram sabhas have to be compulsorily convened
by all village panchayats four times a year, one each in January, April, July
and October. Besides, extraordinary gram sabhas are held on January 26,
August 15, October 2 and December 19.
It has appealed to all voters in panchayat areas to participate in the gram
sabha
and take keen interest in the administration, planning and development of
their
village to stem out corruption, mismanagement of revenue and exploitation
of the village natural resources by unscrupulous lobbies. All decisions of the
Gram Sabha are binding on the panchayat, co-ordinator Soter de Souza said
adding that the gram sabha members should insist that the minutes of the
meeting
be written during the meeting to avoid manipulations later.
Any abuses by the sarpanch and secretary should be brought to the notice
of the BDO and Director for Panchayats, the cell has urged citizens. It is
also
mandatory for the authorities to depute an observer to the gram sabha meeting.
Peaceful Society which is also a member of the Western India Forum for
Panchayati Raj (WIFPR) for Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa has dedicated the
Year 2003 for the "Empowerment of Gram Sabhas".
It is only through self-governance, self-sustenance and self-reliance in
every village
that long lasting solutions could emerge to the modern day problems. Several
awareness and training programmes will be organised during the year.
Like-minded
Government agencies, panchayats, NGOs and individuals interested in
collaborating for these programmes will be welcomed, the press note added.
The Panchayat Raj Cell has lamented that the Goa Government has not given
sufficient powers to the gram sabha for strengthening of the Panchayat Raj
Institutions. The humiliation and abuse that the gram sabha members have to
often undergo at the hands of the sarpanchas and panchayat secretaries has
led many villagers to avoid the panchayat meetings, D'Souza said.
The BDOs and Directorate of Panchayats have been indirectly encouraging
the irregularities by even ignoring public complaints, the Cell said. The
Directorate
has not been doing enough to increase awareness of the public on their rights
in the panchayats and implementation of the existing law.
The Panchayat Raj Cell has appealed to the government, panchayat
functionaries,
organisations and individuals to shun divisive and vindictive politics in
the villages
in this New Year 2003 if they really believe in grass root democracy.
"Dividing a village and hampering development for political gains is against
the spirit of Panchayati Raj", it said adding that any person or organisation
needing further information may contact Peaceful Society, Kundaim,
Goa- 403115 or phone 2392236 or visit the website at www.goapanchayats.org.
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HERALD 8/01/03 page 5
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