In another few days the
Panchayat election will take place in Goa. In many villages especially in the
coastal areas, there is too much of rush to fill the forms by the local
candidates as well as by the “Baddeache” candidates who are contesting in the
Wards not belonging to them. It is very dangerous to re-elect the current
members because they are already equipped with the knowledge of using the
Panchayat machiney for looting and making money for them. In our locality we have such candidates who
are a nuisance in the Panchayat and because of this nature of them people are
reluctant to go to the Panchayat. By their rude behavior they have created a
fear complex into the hearts of the people They forget to know why they are elected
by the voters, they are elected to do good for the people but instead they are
using their power and time for harassing the locals. They love harassing the people because they
are third class coming from worst class of family background.
The important question
for the election contestants is this: Once they are elected, whom they will
elect the Sarpanch? This is the main
question which the candidates must tell in advance. Later on to decide, we
should not wait. Once they get elected,
they will be acting like Dictators.
Those who are not forthcoming with their answer, they should not be
voted.
The biggest robbers of many
of our Panchayats in Goa are the elected members of the Panchayat headed by the
Sarpanches. They are the first persons in the Queue standing there in the
Mamlatdar Offices to fill their forms so that they don’t miss the opportunity
to contest the election. They will see to it that they are elected even by doling
their wives and daughters because they are in readiness to rob Panchayat more
and thru Panchayat they will rob the locals.
Up to now I have not come
across a single Panch Member who can with pride say that he has not made use of
his position to make money for him. I
see Bungalows, Restaurants and Hotels built by the members of the Panchayat but
I don’t see any evidence proving that they have not extorted as bribe the money
from the public. We have in our locality
a few of them whose motto by contesting the local election is only to fill
their pockets by taking bribe from the people. Otherwise you cannot acquire
huge asset without robbing.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
