Panaji: Dr Shri Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa inaugurated the Foundation Conference of All India Gram Panchayat Workers Federation which was hosted by All Goa Panchayat Workers Union (AITUC) in the distinguished presence of the Hon’ble Minister for Panchayat, Government of Goa, Shri Mauvin Godinho. Delegates from various states participated in the Foundation Conference.
The Chief Minister extolled the virtues of people-centric and dedicated services rendered by the Panchayat workers in every Panchayat in Goa. He said that the Panchayat workers play very important role in taking Government’s Welfare Schemes meant for rural population aimed at ATYODAYA of poorest of the poor in the nook and the corner of the country. He assured the Panchayat workers that all their pending issues and problems will receive a positive attention from the Government of Goa and he appreciated the cooperation of Goa Panchayat workers and their leader in the work of implementation of various government schemes as well as skillfully negotiating all their problems with the government and settling the same amicably.
The Honourable Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant also released the Souvenir of All Goa Panchayat Workers’ Union on the occasion.
Shri Mauvin Godinho, the Hon’ble Minister for Panchayats who inaugurated the National Conference said that Panchayats in our country and particularly in Goa are taking all the government’s welfare schemes to the people in the villages thereby ensuring the well-being of the poorest of the poor in our country. That is in tune with ‘Sab ka Saath, Sab ka vikaas and Sab ka Vishwas’ and the new addition ‘sab ka Prayas’. He greeted the Panchayat workers who had come to Goa from different parts of the country to attend the Foundation Conference of Panchayat Workers. He too assured that all the pending grievances of the Panchayat employees in Goa, including the implementation of the benefits of pay of 7th Pay Commission will be positively settled.
The Conference adopted the Constitution of the All India Gram Panchayat Workers’ Federation (AIGPWF) with the avowed objective of fostering the spirit of comradeship, co-operation and mutual assistance amongst all the employees of Gram Panchayats in our country and to secure for the employees of village panchayat/s better conditions of life and to safeguard their interests and rights in relation to their employment. At present the Panchayat workers in the country are weighed down and exploited in several States under pathetic and slave-like service-conditions and salaries.
The Founding Conference of the Federation also resolved to work in Gram Panchayats towards the fulfilment of the tasks as envisioned in the 73 rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992 and specifically for the implementation of the 29 functions allocated to the Gram Panchayats under the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.
The Conference Felicitated the four veteran Panchayat leaders, who had rendered selfless and exemplary services to the causes espoused by All Goa Panchayat Workers’ Union, especially during its formative period at the hands of Panchayat Minister, Mr Mauvin Godinho. Those felicitated are :- Comrades Nanda Vagurmekar (V.P. Benaulim) ; Anand Tahashildar (V.P. Gaondongri) ; Govind Naik (V.P. Goa Velha) and Santosh V. Naik. (V.P. Usgaon).
The two days’ delegate session which followed the inaugural function was presided over and ably guided by the veteran Trade Unionist and National Secretary of AITUC, Comrade Sukumar Damle.
The Conference unanimously elected the following office-bearers and the Executive Committee Members for the ensuing period of three (3) years.
President : Shri Christopher Fonseca : Goa State
Vice-President : Shri Rupesh Naik : Goa State
Vice-President : Shri Narsimha Reddy : Tamil Nadu
Vice-President : Shri T. Dandapani : Telangana
Vice-President : Shri Sakharam Durgude : Maharashtra
General Secretary : Shri Namdev Chavan : Maharashtra
Treasurer : Adv. Rahul Jadhav : Maharashtra
Deputy General Secretary : Ms Elizabeth Assis : Kerala State
Deputy General Secretary : Shri Mohammed Yusuf : Telangana
Deputy General Sectretary : Shri M. Radhakrishnan : Tamil Nadu
Zonal Secretary : Milind Ganvir (West Zone) : Maharashtra
Zonal Secretary : Mohamed Yusuf (South Zone) : Telangana
Secretary : Ms Deepa Borkar : Goa
Secretary : Shri Sham Chinchane : Maharashtra
Secretary : Shri D. Venkat Rajan : Tamil Nadu
Executive Committee Member : Shri Pradeep M. Gauns : Goa
Executive Committee Member : Shri Mangesh Mhatre : Maharashtra
Executive Committee Member : Shri A B Kulkarni : Maharashtra
Executive Committee Member : Shri. K. Jaya Chandra : Telangana
Executive Committee Member : Shri M D Osman : Telangana
Executive committee Member : Shri Kumar Bindeshwar Singh : Bihar
Executive Committee Member : Ms Ridaphi Nongsiej : Meghalaya
Executive committee Member : Shri D D Patel : Gujarat
Executive Committee Member : Shri. Honnappa K. : Karnataka
Executive committee Member : Shri Brojen M. : Manipur
Executive Committee Member : Shri K K Samy : Tamil Nadu
Executive committee Member : M. Singiah V. : Tamil Nadu
The delegates from the various States who attended the Conference profusely congratulated and thanked the All Goa Panchayat Workers’ Union (AITUC) and the AITUC leaders of the Goa State – for the warm and generous hospitality extended to all the delegates viz. Comrades Prasanna Utagi, R.D. Mangueshkar, Suhaas Naik, Rajendra Verenkar and the team members.
