PANAJI:
Thirty seven Zilla Parishad members were arrested by the Panaji police as a
preventive measure after they undertook an "illegal" dharna demanding more
powers. The agitating ZP members also surrounded the car in which Panchayat
minister Babu Azgaonkar was
travelling.
Panaji police
informed that about 48 ZP members gathered near the old Mandovi bridge at about
2.30 pm and attempted to break the police cordon. However, of these, 37 were
arrested by the police. Though the ZP members had sought permission to hold the
dharna, it had been rejected, said the police.
"As their action was illegal
they were arrested and later released on a personal bond," said Panaji PI,
Francisco Corte.
The protest
was a joint dharna organised by the North and South Goa ZP members, who came
together and formed a committee to force the government look into their demands.
Under the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, all rural development
works are required to be forwarded through the ZPs and the panchayats.
"At the moment this is not
happening and all development work is being carried out by the MLAs. As a result
we can't carry out any development work in our respective areas. What is the use
of being in power, if we don't have any power to improve our zilla and help the
people," said North Goa ZP chairperson Amol
Morajkar.
At present, each ZP
member is sanctioned Rs eight lakh annually to carry out development work.
However, members state that the money is not
sufficient.
"Though an MoU was
signed between the state and Central government to confer the powers under the
Constitution to the ZP members, we have been denied the same. We have met the
chief minister several times but to no avail," added
Morajkar.
Though the agitating
members attempted to meet the panchayat minister on Wednesday, they were not
allowed to. However, they stopped the car in which he was travelling and raised
slogans. The ZP members were holding placards demanding more powers to the ZPs
in the state.