TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Tribal Welfare Minister Ramesh Tawadkar came under fire for diverting funds under the tribal welfare to his home constituency, Canacona, while leaving the South Goa Zilla Panchayat high and dry.
Zilla member further demanded that the government should arm the ZP bodies with powers and not to fool them with petty funds.
Zilla Panchayat Deputy Chairperson Navnath Naik, who is a BJP executive party member, set the ball rolling when he demanded to know why the government has neglected the Zilla Panchayat in the implementation of schemes for the Scheduled Tribes. He pointed out that even village panchayats in his constituency has received lakhs of rupees funds under the tribal head.
In her reply, Chairperson Nelly Rodrigues pointed out that the Zilla Panchayats used to receive a grant of Rs 18 lakh under the ST head, but the amount has now been reduced to a mere Rs 3.5 lakh. She further pointed out that around 7-8 work estimates dispatched by the Zilla Panchayat has received a cold shoulder from the Tribal Welfare Department.
At this juncture, ZP member Krishna Velip sought to defend the Tribal Welfare Minister on taking up works in Canacona constituency, but he was shouted down by Navnath, Dayanand Pagi and Kushali Velip, who demanded to know whether he was the minister’s mouth piece.
After heated discussions, the ZP has decided to write to the government to allocate Rs 10 crore funds to the body under the tribal head.
Kushali Velip said the Parrikar government should not remain silent on the long pending demand for powers, by allocating only grants to the body.
The body adopted a resolution moved by Deputy Chairperson Navnath Naik to permit sand extraction in the State after taking precautions. He said the government should allow the panchayats to tender sand extraction of rivers in their areas which are literally buried with silt.
