The functioning of panchayats came in for a fiery debate on Wednesday with Members of the House picking up various issues -- from the role of secretaries and the irregular staff attendance. However, Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho appears to have taken the safest way out assuring the Assembly of sorting out the grey areas while also outlining some key decisions.
The discussion on demands was largely focused on secretaries and how the administrative heads of local bodies were misusing their powers. Charges of corruption and biases were flying thick and fast as various legislators stood up to explain how panchayat secretaries have assumed enormous powers and created unnecessary hurdles for sections of people while operating in tandem with certain lobbies.
Members of the House went about discussing cases of Secretaries remaining put in panchayats for an extended period and in some cases avoiding transfers for even beyond twenty years. Another side of the discourse was that there is an acute shortage of secretaries with many holding multiple charges leading to files being held up.
The Panchayat Minister's approach to the issue appeared calculated as he emphasised the role of panchayat secretaries and explained how critical it is to the decision-making process. He went on to compare the role of the panchayat secretary to that of the chief secretary stating that they address not only administrative matters but also act a guiding authority on crucial matters. In line with the discussion, Godinho mentioned that the government will recruit new panchayat secretaries through the Staff Selection Commission and that he has plans to upgrade them with better salaries.
Although Godinho appeared to be in control of the situation, one is baffled at the thought of secretaries holding multiple charges. If we may recall, secretaries have been in the spotlight for dubious reasons. Going by Godinho’s observation that a secretary's role is crucial, the vacancies should have been filled on a priority. By not filling these posts, the minister is allowing further speculation.
Another interesting announcement is the face recognition system for attendance in panchayats to check punctuality and absenteeism. Again, this is long overdue in an era where manual registers have become obsolete. A major flaw in the functioning of panchayats has been irregular timings of office staff and a lack of controls since the secretary himself is elusive. The minister has only allowed these ills to fester.
The ‘Shist’ (order) that Godinho seeks to implement elsewhere must also be seen in the functioning of panchayats which is currently in jeopardy. A pay upgrade is fine, but that cannot be a pre-condition for better work. Interestingly, the panchayat minister has attributed a lack of action on transfers of secretaries to political influences. This exposes the hollowness of our system, and with it, the authority of a minister. If Godinho is succumbing to such pressures, then he is allowing the system to be compromised.
The panchayat minister must steer away from politics that tends to bring down a system. There has to be fair play and transparency and above all the panchayat system needs a complete overhaul. It is to be seen how Godinho takes the journey forward from here.
