The Works

| 2002 |

Sarpanchas, deputies sway by winds of change

If consistency among sarpanchas and their deputies were an academic subject for evaluation, nearly 73.55 per cent of the panchayats in the state would have failed the test.

In an exclusive study conducted by Herald, as many as 406 sarpanchas and their deputies were changed in the 189-odd panchayats in the state between January 1997 and December 2001.

Only 50 panchayats in the state completed their respective terms without recording a change in either the sarpanch or the deputy sarpanch.

The frequency was such that an average of one in every two panchayats witnessed a replacement of either a sarpanch or a deputy sarpanch, due to a no-confidence motion, resignation, disqualification, removal or death.

As expected, the heads of the local panchayats shifted with far greater frequency than their deputies. Of the 189 panchayats, there were 246 changes in sarpanchas, while only 160 changes in deputy sarpanchas.

However, inconsistency among sarpanchas and their deputies need not always imply instability in the panchayat. This is because there were some instances of sarpanchas resigning from office in favour of other ruling members, as in the case of the Penha-da-Franca village in Bardez.

If changes in panchas were also to be included in this list, then as many as 517 changes (including those of sarpanchas and their deputies) were found to have taken place among the 1,439 panchas in the state.

Elections to the panchayats were held on January 12, 1997, while sarpanchas and their deputies were elected on January 24, 1997.

First no-confidence motion: The first no-confidence motion in the state was recorded at Calata-Majorda-Utorda on March 23, 1997, barely two months after the sarpanch and the deputy was elected into power.

Between January and July 1997, the changes in panchayats involved either the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch. The first panch to be changed was in Marcaim on August 1, 1997, when the panch resigned from office.

Factors for change: The main reasons for the 518 changes in the panchayats were due to no-confidence motions (276), resignations (177), disqualification or removal (41), deaths (17) and others (7).

Change of guard: Probably, the fastest change was recorded in Carambolim in Tiswadi, when a sarpanch was elected on November 19, 2001, only to be ousted seven days later.

While Canacona has been the most consistent taluka in the state with only 9 changes (sarpanch and deputies) in seven panchayats, the talukas of Pernem, Sattari and Sanguem also stand out in consistency.

In Pernem, eight of the 20-odd panchayats completed their full terms without changing either the sarpanch or the deputy.

In Sattari, four of the 12-odd panchayats recorded no change. This figure is identical in Sanguem taluka.

While most changes have been recorded in Bardez taluka, Tiswadi has been the most volatile taluka. A whopping 62 changes in either sarpanchs or their deputies were recorded in the 18 panchayats.

In other words, there has been on an average, at least 3 changes in each panchayat in the taluka.

Constant changes in the Adil Shah’s palace during the past five years also reflected with the local heads of panchayats in Tiswadi.

The taluka registered the highest number of changes in the State — 42 sarpanchas were replaced in 18 panchayats.

The exception to this flux was the Santa Cruz and Cumbharjua panchayats, which completed their respective terms without a change in either sarpanch or deputy sarpanch.

Salcete also registered a high rate of changes, as 57 sarpanchas and deputies were replaced during their terms. However, seven panchayats were consistent enough to retain the same set of sarpanchas and deputies for the full term.

Same name, diverse records: Panchayats which share the same name in different talukas also displayed an interesting trend. While the Keri (Pernem) panchayat completed its entire term without any change, Keri (Sattari) panchayat witnessed as many as 7 changes and Keri (Ponda) panchayat saw two changes during its entire term.

On the other hand, the Sanvordem (Sanguem) panchayat and the Sanvordem (Sattari) panchayat shared an identical feature — no change during the entire term.

Likewise, stability was also recorded in the Navelim (Bicholim) panchayat and the Navelim (Salcete) panchayat. No changes took place in Navelim up north, while a lone member was changed in Navelim in the south.

Impact of ZP polls: The large number of resignations by panchas can be attributed to the Zilla Panchayat elections. There was a mass exodus of panchas between January 31, 2000 and March 24, 2000, when panchas were elected into the Zilla Panchayat.

As many as 17 panchas expired while serving their term in office.

Old and new conquests: An interesting feature can be noted in the stability of panchayats between the old conquest (Bardez, Tiswadi and Salcete) and the new conquest (other talukas).

The old conquest has been far more vibrant in the number of changes, in comparison with the changes in the new conquest.

Incidentally, though the old conquests has only 623 wards as opposed to 816 wards in the new conquests, the number of sarpanchas and deputies changed in the old conquests comes close to the respective figures in the new conquest.

Also of interest is the fact that the panchas in the old conquest have been far more active than their counterparts in the new conquest.

A similar trend was noted while comparing stability among the two conquests. Of the 50 panchayats which endured their terms without a change in either sarpanch or deputy sarpanch, 35 of them were located in the new conquest.

Only 15 panchayats without any change in sarpanch or deputy sarpanch were located in the old conquest.

The frequent changes in the old conquest seems to have reflected a similar set of findings which followed from a survey on public perception of panchayats, conducted recently by the Political Science department at Goa University.

“The department found out that people in the old conquests were less satisfied with their panchayats than people in the new conquests,” explains Prof Peter R De Souza, head of the department.

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