The Works

| 2002 |

For three decades, they stand tall in local bodies

They have served as panchas for over three decades and continue to stand tall, despite the winds of change affecting panchayat politics in the state.

Numerous panchas have come and gone since the first panchayat polls in 1963, but the two vintage panchayat leaders have been elected into power time and again.

Eight times to be precise.

Requeta Colaco of Chorao in Bardez and Sadhashiv Marathe of Dharbandora in Sanguem may be located miles apart, but they have quite a few features in common.

Both created a record of sorts in January, when they were elected for the eighth term.

On January 31, Colaco and Marathe were elected as deputy sarpanchas of their respective panchayats.

Incidentally, both missed a clean sweep in the nine panchayat elections held in the state so far. While Marathe was underage to contest the 1963 elections, Colaco was defeated in the 1973 polls.

For 65-year-old Requeta A Colaco, of Bautonawaddo-Chorao, serving as panch has become a regular feature.

With the exception of the 1973 panchayat polls, Colaco has been a member of the panchayat from 1963 till date.

Colaco served as deputy sarpanch from 1991 to 1997. Her chance to hold the top post of sarpanch was in the 1997 term, when Colaco was elected in 1997-98 and 2000-01.

Going down the memory lane, the deputy sarpanch explained that the island of Chorao lacked basic facilities and infrastructure in the early 60s.

“In 1963, Chorao was an underdeveloped village. There was no electricity, simple roads and no proper water supply,” recalls Colaco.

Eager to push her village on the path of progress, she stood for elections when she was barely 26 years old.

Since then there has been no looking back.

“During my various terms as panch, I was successful in getting proper electricity in the village, tarred roads, houses under the 20-point programme, a Health Centre and a panchayat ghar for the village,” claims the deputy sarpanch.

Colaco admits that frequent changes in sarpanchas — seven to be precise — during the past five years has been an embarrassment to the panchayat.

“Due to petty politics, a lot of changes took place among sarpanch during the last five years. This time, we are determined to ensure that history does not repeat itself,” insisted Colaco.

At home, she attends to her husband, a retired employee of the Government Health Centre at Chorao, and their three children.

But activities at home has hardly affected her responsibilities in the panchayat.

“I am in the panchayat from 10 am to 1 pm. After that, I attend to my duties at home,” informs Colaco.

The long service of Colaco was appreciated by the state government, when she was presented a certificate of appreciation on February 19, 2000.

“This time, I did not want to stand for elections, but the people from my ward forced me to do so,” she added.

Colaco however feels her long innings is not likely to continue for long.

“This is my last term in the panchayat and I do not want to go on any further. I have plans to get my daughter-in-law to replace me in the panchayat,” says Colaco with a smile.

However, other panchas refused to accept Colaco’s plan to severe ties with the panchayat.

Fellow Chorao panch, Rama Kubal, insisted that people would push her to continue getting elected from her ward.

“We will replace her only when she dies,” insisted Kubal.

In fact, the Chorao panchayat has plans to felicitate Colaco for her long stint at the panchayat.

Despite the accolade, Colaco is well aware of the problems faced by her village.

“Right now, the village faces acute water shortage. As far as health facilities are concerned, there is no full-fledged doctor in the Chorao health Centre and this island desperately needs a full-time doctor,” admits Colaco.

Fondly known as Kaka, Sadhashiv Vaman Marathe has been sarpanch of Dharbandora for a span of 33 years.

A farmer by profession, Marathe begins his day at 5 am and goes to the field for a few hours in the morning and evening.

“Most of my time during the day is reserved for panchayat work,” said Marathe.

“It is the development done by me during the past, social work and work in the field of Education, that enabled me to win every time I contested elections,” informs Marathe.

Marathe decided to enter involved in panchayat affairs in the first ever panchayat polls in 1963, but failed to qualify on one ground.

“I was below the required age to be a candidate. However, my brother contested and won the elections from our ward,” recalled Marathe.

The second panchayat elections after liberation took place in 1967 and Marathe was elected as the panch from the two wards of Marad and Tamsodo.

Marathe was elected become sarpanch of Dharbandora Panchayat for the first time.

In the seven successive elections to follow, Marathe was elected as panch and went on to became Sarpanch of the panchayat.

The year 1981 stands out as a significant event in the history of the Dharbandora panchayat.

“The entire panchayat was elected unopposed in 1981,” noted Marathe.

Changes in the composition of the panchayat were soon to follow. In 1986, the number of wards was increased from 5 to 7, while in 1996, Dharbandora was increased to a nine-ward panchayat.

For Marathe, stability was the hallmark of the panchayat for over three decades.

“From 1967 to 2000, there was not a single no-confidence motion moved in the Dharbandora panchayat,” informed Marathe.

The untainted track record was soon to record its first no-confidence in 2000, when a Marathe was ousted in a no-confidence motion.

Jayant Pilienkar was subsequently elected sarpanch, but Marathe did not have to wait too long to regain his hold in the panchayat.

Three months later, Pilienkar was voted out of office in a no-trust move and a panch from Marathe’s panel, Chaya Naik, was elected sarpanch.

Marathe is however critical of the frequency of no-confidence motions affecting most panchayats in present times.

“Panchayats involved in constant no-confidence motions cannot promote developmental activities in the village. Selfish desires are often the main cause for these no-confidence motions,” opined Marathe.

During Marathe’s tenure as sarpanch, the state government honoured the Dharbandora Panchayat twice for bring the ideal and best panchayat of the state. The panchayat was awarded a certificate of merit, a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 15,000.

Marathe was also honoured as the best sarpanch among all the sarpanchas in the state.

Marathe was elevated into state-level politics in 1979, when he was elected as MLA from the erstwhile Sanguem constituency (consisting of constituencies of the Sanvordem and Sanguem.)

“During my tenure as the MLA of Sanvordem Constituency, I fought for the right of mundkars and solved the problems of villagers regarding government land and forest land,” claimed Marathe.

“The work which I have done in the past has helped me to go to the voters everytime I contest elections,” he adds.

But this confidence is also due to Marathe’s personal experiences and contribution to the area.

“During my childhood I faced a lot of difficulties to get education due to financial background of my family and lack of education in my locality,” recalls Marathe.

“As I did not want my villagers to encounter the same problem, I have started an educational organisation named Bhahusaheb Bandodkar Shikshan Sanstha for the benefit of the villagers,” explained Marathe.

The organisation has started schools at Dharbandora, Piliem, Mollem and a higher secondary at Usgao Tisca. Marathe is the chairman of the Sanstha.

But education is not the only concern of this seasoned panch.

“My efforts to provide education to the youth took me to the victory. I have also donated 11,000 sq mtrs of land for the construction of a sports complex, besides 2000 sq mtrs for a vrudhashram,” informed Marathe.

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