Good? Bad? Ugly?
Peopleâs Plan-Chandor
Preetu Nair-Gomantak Times
February 25, 2007
Irked by the morass that governance has turned out to be, Chandorcars have decided to step in and "save" their historic village. A group of villagers took the lead to enlist the views and aspitrations of their co villagers, held public meetings in all eight wards and prepared a 5 year plan for Chandor.
"My idea of village swaraj is that it is a complete republic, independent of its neighbours for its wants, and yet interdependent for many others in which dependence is a necessity". Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's words and unhappy with the state of affairs in Chandor, the 2797-odd residents of Chandor have got together to prepare Chandor Ganv Vhodd Zaum, a five-year (2007-2012) people's plan for the sustainable, equitable and people¬friendly development of Chandor.
Through this five-year plan, the villagers make a fervent promise to themselves to try to remake their lives on a new social and economic foundation. The aim of the plan is to boost village economy; create jobs by reviving agriculture through cooperative and organic farming, restore historic sites, beautify the village to attract tourists; establish Chandor Development Corporation, start a waste-recycling project, bring in more government welfare schemes and cooperative projects. "Our panchayat has become too politicized to function effectively in our interest. We need to restore to it its true responsibility; as a body to oversee the development of the village and villagers. It shouldn't act as a branch office of the government in power nor the village cell of the constituency's MLA," opined Linken Fernandes. In the plan, villagers have suggested not only economic reforms but also social and political reforms to save the village and the villagers. As a social reform, they have urged for a need to re-form Comunidades into cooperatives with all villagers as its members, stop destruction, usurping and sale of hills, open spaces, paddy fields, river,creeks and lake, stop air and water pollution and end casteism, ethnicism, male chauvinism, work and language snobbery. As part of the political reform they have demanded to make Chandor an independent village republic, which holds gram sabhas in each ward and brings the panchayat to their doorstep, uses Right to Information and ensures that the panchas undertake development responsibilities. Moreover, they have also set other targets such as beautification of Chandor by clearing garbage, keeping the tintto clean, defending open spaces, decongesting the village centre, building promenades, making roads safe and re-greening degraded land. The vil¬lagers also intend to start a waste-recycling system, a community land cooperative, 100% literacy by 2008, a cooperative gas agency; petrol pump and bus service by 2008 and two crops a year by 2012.
HOW DID THE PROCESS START?
On June 25, 2006, at a gram sabha meeting when the Sarpanch informed them that the panchayat was preparing a 15-year development plan for Chandor, which would soon be submitted to the government, the villagers suggested that they should also be involved. It was proposed that views of all villagers be sought and their aspirations and hopes understood before the plan was finalized. Subsequently, few villagers went around Chandor asking people for their views on how the village must develop over the next five years.
After eight public meetings in all wards of the village, they came out with a five-year plan.
"The sincerity of our panch members will be gauged by the alacrity with which they carry out the proposals in the people's plan. The gram sabha and all villagers of Chandor-Cavorim expect the panchayat to immediately start working out the cost of implementing the proposals outlined here," said Tiago Miranda.
THE FIRST STEP
The Five-year People's Plan for the Sustainable Development of Chandor (2007-2012) was presented to the village gram sabha on December 10, 2006 in the panchayat hall. Accept¬ing the plan, the chair of the gram sabha, the sarpanch, announced that the panchayat would soon call a special, or extraordinary, gram sabha to discuss the plan. However, that has still not happened, but villagers have not lost hope.
People have various demands, and these, form an integral part of the People's Plan for the Sustainable Development of Chandor (2007-2012). They have short term and long term plans. The villagers propose to have a waste reduction and re¬cycling system before June 2007, 100% literacy before 2008, village land cooperative by June 2007, increase locally generated income to at least 50% of total village income, raise two crops by 2012 through natural, ecologically-sound organic farming, set up a gas agency, a petrol pump and a bus service through the village cooperative before 2008 and make the village Panchayat totally people-friendly by December 2007.
HOW TO ACHIEVE THIS
Give economy a little push by promoting agriculture, tourism, dairy farming, horticulture, poultry, and animal rearing. Encourage people to go for natural farming, using organic manure and farm as a cooperative, treating all the Communidade land as an indivisible, collectively owned unit. Also restore the vil1age to a point in time when myths seemed natural enough, to attract tourists. Also promote backwater tourism. Keep the Village Centre and tintto clean, less crowded and unpolluted as possible and plan sub-markets.
Besides, build a new structure to construct a new identity that people immediately connect with Chandor. Also promote dairy farming as an important economic activity in the village, with the panchayat promoting welfare of "dairyists". Also consider a cooperative dairy farm in the village and provide "dairyists" a common site for their milch animals, to pre: vent inconvenience to nearby residents. Dedicate most of the non-paddy Communidade and private land to a mix of horticulture, poultry, animal husbandry and piggery projects.
Rush mat weaving, using the Iou reed found over" large stretches near the marshy areas around Cotta and Guirdolim, is another possibility considered in the plan. The Handicrafts Corporation and the Industries Department make funds available for conducting training in rush mat making. De¬velop small fisheries projects, using government schemes for
inland nurseries
Waste reduction and recycling
A recycling unit could generate fertilizer for the cooperative farm and create a couple of jobs too. The panchayat has enough funds funds. Also attempt to reduce the amount of garbage created in the village, particularly in the market place and in the church environs and come up with waste reduction systems. At least ten compost stations to hp dug up at various points in the village immediately.
The panchayat
Attract more government funds by pulling in more welfare schemes into the village. Taxes are another source of income the panchayat needs to pursue seriously. The increased income may be spent on a free anti-rabies vaccination pro¬gramme for all registered dogs in the village. They also talk about the role and importance of Panchayat, Sarpanch, panchas and Gram Sabhas.
The village co.operative
With the Communidades of Cavorim and Chandor proving incapable of protecting village interests, the villagers suggest that it is time for all Chandorcars to take over the task of safeguarding the physical integrity of the village and of the means of sustenance by forming a villagers' cooperative to oversee the egalitarian, sustainable and cooperative development of our village.
Non resident Chandorcar income
Channel some of the foreign money into income-generating projects in the village. Ensure some enriching activity, for Non-Resident Chandorcars when they return home for their vacations.
More roads and parking places
Early commencement of and completion of the proposed bridge over the railway tracks near New Township. While planning more roads and new bridges, ensure safety on roads. Provide proper parking place, bus service and electricity.
People matter
They also talk about empowering children and women. Be¬sides improving school infrastructure, provide for an outdoor badminton or tennis court, gymnasium, table tennis, a community TV set, computers, newspapers, magazines, and even dancing in the corner if some people feel inclined to move a leg.
âAfter all, the development and prosperity of our village is the responsibility of all Chandorcars" added Fernandes.
