Much Ado About Zilla Parishads With Little Power
Tomorrow, Goans will queue up at polling booths, ink their fingers, cast their votes and, almost ritualistically, click a selfie to mark the moment. The Zilla Parishad elections have arrived amid a surprisingly fierce political campaign. Parties are locked in bitter battles. Leaders are trading charges and countercharges as if this contest will reshape Goa’s future.
The intensity would suggest that everything is at stake. The reality, however, is far less dramatic.
In Goa, a Zilla Parishad member has little real authority. In practical terms, a panch of a village panchayat often exercises more influence over local development and governance than an elected ZP member. This stark mismatch between political noise and institutional power exposes a deeper flaw in the way local self-government is treated in the state.
The Zilla Parishad was never meant to be ornamental. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment envisioned it as the apex body of rural local self-government at the district level. It was supposed to plan, coordinate and implement development programmes across talukas and villages. It was meant to prepare district plans, supervise key sectors such as health, education, agriculture and rural development, and act as a crucial link between the state government and village panchayats.
In Goa, this constitutional promise remains largely unfulfilled.
ZP members do not control departments. They have little say in staff postings or budgets. Major schemes are designed, funded and implemented directly by state departments, often bypassing the Zilla Parishad entirely. Even routine development works require approvals from higher authorities, reducing elected members to petitioners rather than decision makers.
The irony is hard to miss. Panchayats, despite their own limitations, at least handle basic civic functions, local infrastructure and welfare schemes. A panch can influence the repair of a road, the cleaning of drains or the allocation of local funds. A ZP member, representing a much larger population, is often left attending meetings that have little bearing on outcomes.
Why then this frenzy over Zilla Parishad elections?
Part of the answer lies in political strategy. ZP elections are seen as a testing ground, a rehearsal for Assembly polls. They offer parties an opportunity to assess ground strength, mobilise cadres and settle internal scores. The institution itself becomes secondary. What matters is the political messaging, not the governance role.
But this cannot excuse the continued hollowing out of a constitutionally mandated body. If the government truly believes in grassroots democracy, it must move beyond token elections and deliver real devolution of powers, funds and functions.
The Constitution is clear. Local self-governments are not meant to be administrative extensions of the state. They are meant to be autonomous institutions with clearly defined responsibilities. Without financial independence, administrative control and functional authority, Zilla Parishads cannot fulfil their purpose.
Goa’s reluctance to empower ZPs reflects a deeper discomfort with decentralisation. Concentrating authority at the state level may be politically convenient, but it comes at a cost. Development becomes top-down. Local priorities are overlooked. Accountability weakens because decision-making is far removed from the people it affects.
This also breeds cynicism among voters. When elected representatives are stripped of meaningful power, citizens begin to question the value of participation. Voting becomes a formality, not a pathway to change. The annual cycle of elections, selfies and slogans masks a growing democratic fatigue.
If Zilla Parishads are to matter, the state must act decisively. Departments must be meaningfully linked to ZPs. District planning must be taken seriously, not treated as a bureaucratic exercise. Funds must follow functions. Most importantly, elected members must be trusted to govern.
Tomorrow, Goa will vote. Democracy will be celebrated in photographs and press statements. But the real test will come after the ballots are counted. Will the government finally honour the spirit of the Constitution, or will Zilla Parishads continue to exist as powerless bodies propped up by political theatre?
Until that question is answered, the noise surrounding these elections will remain just that. Noise without substance.
