anaji, Feb 7 (IANS) The Congress Saturday joined the Roman Catholic Church in Goa to oppose the state government's move to hold zilla panchayat elections on political party lines.
The Congress opposition comes a day after the social wing of the Church criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Goa for announcing that the ordinance route would be chosen in mid-February to allow zilla panchayat polls on political party lines.
In a letter to Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, state Congress president Luizinho Faleiro claimed that the ordinance would make a mockery of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision of grassroots democracy implemented through the "73rd and 74th constitutional amendments which granted sanctity to panchayat and municipal bodies".
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar last week announced that the polls would be tentatively held next month and that an ordinance would be issued later this month (the ordinance cannot be promulgated in view of the Panaji by-polls and the code of conduct being in place) on party lines.
Parsekar said the Representation of Peoples Act had been amended by the cabinet and that an ordinance would follow later this month.
"Fighting the zilla panchayat election on political lines will lend stability to these institutions," Parsekar said, hinting that the panchayat election could also be contested on party lines in future.
The chief minister had said that he did not need to take the opposition into confidence while taking the decision because it is the government "which has the prerogative to take such decisions".
The government's move has, however, been opposed by the Church in Goa, which has significant socio-political clout in the state, where 26 percent of the population is Catholic.
In a letter to Parsekar Friday the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), the social wing of the Church, called the government's decision "deplorable and worrisome in a democracy".
"This ordinance is against the very spirit of the 73rd Constitution Amendment which is about enabling grassroot governance in village affairs," executive secretary of the CSJP Fr. Savio Fernandes said.
Criticising the government's rationale that Goa would not be the only state going for elections on party lines, Fernandes said that the reasoning was "lame".
"The literacy level in Goa is one of the highest in the country which is enough reason that people can manage their own affairs at grassroot level without interference from political parties," Fernandes said.
Which state has how many vaccine doses left, read full information in one click
The Government of India has so far given approximately 18 crore vaccine doses to states and union
Third weapon to battle with Corona, Sputnik will get the vaccine in the market from next week
India may receive a third weapon as a vaccine in the war from Corona next week. A Russian-made Sp
If India-China go to war tomorrow, 1962 will be repeated: Expert
New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) If China attacks India tomorrow, the situation would be something sim
Covid 19: Corona virus reaches navy personnel in Mumbai, 21 jawans found positive
New Delhi: Corona virus infection that is wreaking havoc in the country has now reached the India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the country's first driverless metro train throug
The first flight from Israel carrying 212 Indian citizens landed at Delhi airport on Saturday mor
Cricket fans have shown lot of maturity (Column: Just Sport)
All the talk of heart and mind on the eve of the India-Australia semifinal was nothing but an ex
Similar to the riots in North-East Delhi two years ago, a conspiracy was hatched in Jahangirpuri.
Activists gearing up for more Protests on land bill
New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Having vociferously protested against the land ordinance for two days
Indian-made trains may soon run in many Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
