Future netas make their point at first children’s gram sabhas

MARGAO/PANAJI: As

Eliza Carneiro

walked up to the dais to address the gathering in the panchayat hall on Tuesday, the 13-year old Navelim girl was clear about the vision she had about her village. And she was determined enough to make the elected representatives turn that vision a reality.

Voicing her concern over the easy availability of tobacco products in the vicinity of the two schools in Navelim, Eliza urged the panchayat body to take urgent and serious steps to eradicate the menace. “Let’s strive to make Navelim a tobacco-free village,” she urged panchayat members as the gathering listened to her in awe in rapt attention.

Several others like

Carneiro

raised issues concerning children’s welfare before the elected representatives and gram sabha members.

Enthusiasm was palpable among parents
The

Bal Sabhas

, as envisaged in the Goa Children’s Act 2003 had just begun, though in an unassuming and modest manner.

For a change, young and inquisitive minds replaced the belligerent and bellicose voices that largely dominate gram sabhas. Children from across the state got an opportunity to learn about the state of affairs about their local self government bodies, as most of the panchayats on Tuesday organized Bal Sabhas in addition to the special gram sabhas to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan. The directorate of panchayats claimed this was the first time Bal Sabhas were held alongwith the gram sabhas in all the panchayats in the state.

“This is the exactly the kind of platform we wanted to have,”

Conrad Rebello

, 14, told TOI. “As we otherwise hardly get a chance to speak to the authorities, we will be able to express ourselves fearlessly in the Bal Sabhas. I only hope they are held often, and expect the authorities to take us seriously.”

The Bal Sabhas as envisaged in the Goa Children’s Act, 2003, are to be held once in six months. The Act mandates that every civic body, village panchayat and municipal council should have a village child committee (VCC) in place, which have to meet and discuss issues related to children’s welfare. They have to determine the number of children in the 0-18 age group in its jurisdiction, whether all have been immunized, number of dropouts, whether there is child labour, and whether

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

(SSA) is implemented.

Enthusiasm was palpable among the parents as well. When

Sangeeta Keni

, mother of a Bal Sabha participant, pointed out to the lack of creative avenues for children in the village, the panchayat body assured to consider the idea of organising training sessions in art, craft and music in the panchayat premises.

Bal Sabhas also generated quite an excitement in the panchayat areas of Quepem. Assolda and Ambaulim panchayats held drawing competitions for children on the theme “my village after twenty years.” In Ambaulim, doctors and health officials advised the children on aspects pertaining to health care. In Saligao, Bal Sabhas evoked a good response with several children excitedly putting forth their thoughts and feelings about their village.


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