Give all panchs access to files, secretaries told

Panaji: The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed secretaries of panchayats across Goa to permit all panchs to inspect any documents, correspondence and schemes that will form part of the agenda of panchayat meetings. The HC directed access to be given between 10am and 12pm at least seven days prior to a meeting.

The directions were passed “in larger interest of grassroots democracy working at panchayat level” in a petition filed by the lone opposition panch of the Majorda-Utorda-Calata panchayat, Sharlet Fernandes.

She submitted that since 2023, she has not been permitted to access files and the agenda for fortnightly meetings, due to which she has not been able to meaningfully participate in discussions.

The division bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar said that without entering into veracity of allegations, it is of the opinion that any elected representative of a panchayat ought to have access to correspondence, govt schemes or any other material that would be put before the panchayat for deliberation in accordance with the agenda. Adequate time must also be given to all elected panchs to peruse such material before it is deliberated on it, the HC stated.

In her petition, Fernandes stated that resolutions were being passed without discussion taking place or without any questions/objections being raised, defeating the very purpose of having a democratic set-up at the panchayat level. This is making the process of passing a resolution a mere formality, she stated.

She added in her petition that all resolutions passed from 2023 to date have been passed without having any discussion during meetings.
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