--------------------------------------------------------------------------- **** http://www.GOANET.org **** --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5th Annual Konkan Fruit Fest Promenade, D B Bandodkar Road, Panaji, Goa
16-18, May 2008 http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-May/073789.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is interesting to see the chorus of political voices saying that the state government should decide on 'development' issues. There does not appear to be a single politician who is willing to say that the gram sabhas should decide such issues. Representative democracy is obviously better suited to our politicians than the kind of direct democracy we are seeing now. That way they can continue taking anti-people decisions and lining their own pockets. Didn't Micky Pacheco make all the right noises at the meeting with Benaulim villagers. But now he wants to 'act tough'? ----- TOI, Panjim, 14/5/08 ‘Development issues under state purview’ Sanjay Banerjee & Raju Nayak | TNN Margao/Panaji: The state government has decided to take on gram sabhas that are opposing construction projects. According to sources, promoters of projects who obtained permission from panchayats could appeal to the directorate of panchayats in case their permissions were revoked by the gram sabhas. Panchayat minister Babu Azgaonkar said on Monday that gram sabhas opposing projects that have been already approved had no right to do so. “Technical approvals are permissions granted under the law and nobody, including the gram sabhas, can revoke them,” Azgaonkar said. While gram sabhas have a right to put pressure on the panchayat to revoke construction projects, a crucial question being asked is: ‘Can all projects in the villages be reviewed by the gram sabha or is there a certain cap in terms of the nature of the projects that fall under their purview?’ Director of panchayats Menino D’Souza says that the infrastructural problems regarding roads, water supply and electricity that gram sabhas have raised are issues pertaining to the development of the state and fall within the jurisdiction of the higher authorities. PWD minister Churchill Alemao, who earlier represented Benaulim, is of the opinion that projects that are in gross violation of the laws should be scrapped but those that have certain anomalies could be amicably sorted out. “At this rate there would be no development at all. To sort out the issue of availability of water to the villages, I have issued a circular stating that any housing project with more than 30 flats should be directed to my department because I am also vested with the power of looking after water supply,” said Alemao. While expressing his ire against the protests, tourism and housing minister Francisco X (Mickky) Pacheco, who is the current MLA from the constituency, said, “I fail to understand what is happening. If there are certain defects in the plan of housing and any mistake that can be corrected it should be done by discussions instead of agitations. The government needs to act tough.” -- Question everything -- Karl Marx