NT NETWORK
MARGAO
For the first time in the history of the South Goa zilla panchayat, six sitting ZP members are contesting the state assembly elections as they strongly feel that “no powers are devolved to ZPs, and MLAs can serve better than ZP members’’.
Six sitting and one former ZP members are trying their luck to serve the people better.
In the past 15 years, the South Goa ZP has produced three MLAs – Mathany Saldanha, Chandrakant Raghu Kavlekar and Alex Reginaldo Lourenco.
Taking inspiration from the abovementioned leaders, six sitting ZP members – Maria Rebello (Benaulim), Edwin Cardoz (Navelim), Clafacio Dias (Cuncolim), Antonio Vas (Cortalim) Wilfred D’Sa (Nuvem) and Nelly Rodrigues (Colva) are in the fray.
Former ZP member Rosario Mariano Fernandes is also contesting the assembly polls from the Curchorem assembly segment.
Rodrigues is contesting the election from Cortalim seat, while the others are fighting the elections from their respective assembly constituencies.
“We (ZP members) get limited funds, which come after much begging from the government. Unlike ZP members, MLAs get more funds to develop their constituencies. This is one of the reasons that forced me to contest the elections,” said Clafacio Dias, Congress candidate for the Cuncolim seat and former chairperson of the South Goa ZP.
Rodrigues, a South Goa ZP veteran, said that successive governments failed to devolve powers to ZPs, as ministers and MLAs don’t want to empower these local self-governing bodies. The absence of real powers to ZPs may have forced many members to contest the assembly elections to serve their constituents better.
“There are more chances for the ZP members to get elected as they have worked in the ZP segments which almost cover assembly constituencies,” Rodrigues said.
Another woman ZP member said that the zilla panchayat has been a political platform for them and they have carved a niche for themselves.
“This is a litmus test for the work we have done for our people. We hope that our voters will elect us,” she said.
It is pertinent to note that a few of these ZP members are crossing swords with their political mentors.
Among the seven candidates four are trying their luck in Salcete taluka.
A few of them have been nominated by national political parties, while the others are contesting the polls as Independents with support from regional parties.