From Sanjay Borkar in Margao
for Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (MB)

Margao, Apr 26: GOACAN launched the first phase of its Voters' Awareness Drive by organizing an outreach for citizens of South Goa at Margao to draw attention to the importance of the voter in making democracy work effectively at the grassroot level in Goa.

Consumer Forum volunteers carrying placards and banners distributed information slips and appealed to voters to organize not just agonize as making democracy work with mass peoples participation is the only way to save Goa for the future generations.

GOACAN through its 40-day Voters' Awareness Drive titled GRAMSABHA ZAGRUT ZA! which began on April 21 seeks to highlight the strengths of Panchayati Raj which have been severely affected due to planning and budgetary allocation being centered around the decisions and pet projects of the members of the Legislative Assembly and the over emphasis on the Constituency to the detriment of the sustainability and growth of the Goan villages.

During the Awareness Drive, Consumer Forums will initiate a 'contact programme through activities such as ward wise discussions to prepare "Voters' Manifestos" as well as organise "Meet Your Candidate" programs for voters to know and interact with the contesting candidates as has already been done in the villages of Majorda in South Goa and Moira in North Goa respectively.

The Voters' Awareness Drive which will continue till 30th May Goa Statehood Day will also highlight the importance of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, the need for devolution of powers to the municipal bodies and need for a New Municipal Act to replace the Goa Municipal Act of 1968.

Being conscious of the serious flaws of the Regional Plan 2011, the danger posed by Special Economic Zones (SEZ's), the undue emphasis of the Goa government on mega infrastructure, industrial and tourism projects, GOACAN is also highlighting the need for village resource mapping, local level plans for land use, employment generation with a focus on village skills and traditional occupations, preparation of annual and five year village development plans and proper functioning of the defunct District Planning Committees.

GOACAN is highlighting the importance of setting up of the various Village Panchayat Committees, training of its members, holding regular meetings and submitting their quarterly reports to the Gram Sabhas. Although it is mandatory that these Committees function at the village level, as per the Goa Children’s Act 2003 and the Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act 1996, the experience of the last five years has proven that there is a deliberate attempt to subvert this process by making these bodies ineffective.

Besides, the Supervisory Committee, Social Justice Committee, Amenities Committee, Production Committee and the Vigilance Committee mandated by the Goa Panchayati Raj Act 1994, GOACAN has mooted the idea of a Tourism and Beach Management Committee and a Environment Protection Committee at the Village Panchayat level taking into account the special conditions of Goa's coastal Tourism Trade, its Industrial Estates, mega Factories and the growing Mining Industry.

The Awareness Drive is also highlighting the importance of voter participation and monitoring of the 24 fortnightly Panchayat meetings and the 8 Gram Sabhas. The awareness drive is also covering the significance of proper minutes of panchayat meetings and Gram Sabhas, the importance of a participatory and transparent approach in preparing the Annual Budget and Development Plan and the need to verify the Audit Report of the Village Panchayat.

In view of the forthcoming Panchayat elections on May 5 and the Assembly elections on June 2, GOACAN is mobilizing citizens through the village based Civic and Consumer Forums to use the Voters Manifesto as a Tool Kit for the next five years to address issues of democracy and development, accountability and good governance and adopt micro planning with a view to making the villages in Goa sustainable in the context of liberalization, privatization and globalization.