Navhind Times News Desk
Panaji June 3: The Diocesan Service Centre for social action has
written a personal letter to all the members of the Goa assembly urging
them to have personal interaction with the people for exchange of ideas
for finding effective ways to uphold human dignity and promote human
values to stop injustice prevailing in today?s society.
The letter said: ?if you feel this ought to be done, please contact us
to arrange a suitable date and time for the meeting.?
Earlier the centre organised an interactive session with the people who
expressed their expectations from their elected representatives.
The centre forwarded five from among the many expectations expressed by
the people to the legislators.
The people feel the need for participatory democracy. The government
should create channels for effective participation of all the people in
decision making before finalising of policies. Newspaper advertisements
and publicity through local self-government institutions are suggested
as means to invite people?s comments/options/suggestions.
The emphasised on the need for free flow of information. All
administrative procedures should be fully transparent. The right of any
citizen to seek information on any issue related to public interest at
all levels of administration should be respected. The Right to
Information Act should be suitably amended.
There should be accountability. All ministers as well as the other
elected members of the legislative assembly should be accountable to
the people. This principle also applies to the bureaucracy.
The elected representative should respect the votes of the people and
not betray the peoples? mandate. The traditional communal harmony which
has characterised Goan society should be maintained and nurtured, it
urged.
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Regards,
Carlos
