Governance

Successive State Governments have deliberately not devolved powers to the two ZPs making them toothless bodies.

By Gaurav Bakshi – Actor & Founder www.HelpdesQ.in

Yes, you read that right. Successive State Governments in Goa have devolved NO powers to the elected Zilla Panchayat (ZP) members. Why? Because “the MLAs are scared of giving power as they are scared of their own shadow”, according to a former ZP member. The 73rd and 74th amendment of the constitution requires such devolution of powers to local bodies. But who cares for the Constitution of India? Unlike other State Governments, the Government of Goa definitely does not!

Which means, that 4.49 lakh voters wasted their time voting on Dec 12th in 48 ZP constituencies (1 candidate was declared winner unopposed, and 1 polling was countermanded due to the demise of a candidate), while the state government wasted crores in taxpayer money in conducting these elections across the state.

Read first-hand feedback from former Goa State ZP members here, lamenting that “the existence of ZP members is namesake, only for them to get their monthly salaries” and the only role they have is to spend the meagre funds allocated to them towards village panchayat development. To give a perspective, this “right to funds” was given after a 20-year legal battle. Our dysfunctional courts with much delayed outcomes allow the powerful to continue to abuse our state and country, with our politicians knowing fully well that the courts will take possibly decades to decide matters. Criminals and too many politicians work in exactly the same manner. They both know delayed legal systems have little to zero chance of any adverse outcomes (or convictions). The implication naturally is blatant, dictatorial and criminal actions.

The ZP elections took place in Goa on Dec 12th 2020. Without powers, the Goa ZP system should be scrapped as they are an unnecessary burden on a state exchequer that is borrowing to meet its basic expenditures.

The arrogance of the largely undemocratic political system in Goa repeatedly comes to the fore. With each passing day, numerous examples shine bright that shed further light on the corrupt political leadership abusing and misusing its own powers to hold on to a well-oiled system of government sponsored corruption to tightly control every rupee that flows through their hands and eventually use the siphoned money to buy voters in their mini fiefdoms that just about every MLA has created in his own constituency and his surrounding constituencies.

In these mini fiefdoms, most MLAs are working overtime with diligent self-interest to build large unaccounted wealth in the form of benami properties, cash and lavish lifestyles and beat the other neighboring political fiefdom. They do so by getting their loyal few elected at the Village Panchayat level and by appointing their chosen few to plum appointments across state institutions and various bodies as collection agents. They also do so by ruthlessly using state machinery against the public, common citizens, rivals or anyone that makes them insecure. Periodically, more than 1 fiefdom comes together in the interest of mutually agreed power and wealth building interests to allow for continued and larger control.

Corruption is nothing “but the deep inward sense of corruption that human beings live with—selfish, thinking about themselves, wanting success, being envious. So corruption is inside, in your heart, in your brain. And being violent is part of what is called corruption” as expounded by Jiddu Krishnamurthy. He goes on to say “You know, you learn a great deal when there is humility. You know the word ‘humility’? You learn a great deal if you are really humble. But if you are merely seeking success, money, money, power, position, status, then you are beginning with corruption.”

Will a single Goan Citizen of integrity and humility stand up and lead Goa out of this destructive political mess? Is that too much to ask? Is it time for citizens to own responsibility and show a voice of Unity in putting these elected selfish leaders in their proper place? It will only happen if citizens put nation first and put their own little self-interest aside.

Making a regular fool of the public, the current Chief Minister Pramod Sawant likes to make periodic statements about how he will do “something” about every issue. That usually never happens. Not with ZP devolution of powers, not with reducing corruption in Goa, not with Mollem, not with mining and not with dozens of other key issues plaguing this tiny state, ironically considered the most easily manageable state in India and one with massive untapped potential.

Granting statehood to Goa appears to have been a huge mistake.

Each one of us must step forward and contribute towards nation building, and not be looked at by future generations as mute spectators to destruction of life and planet for short term foolish gains of a few.