BPL scheme dominates Curtorim gram sabha
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, FEB 20
The Below Poverty Line (BPL) scheme dominated the gram sabha of Curtorim village Panchayat on Sunday with members demanding that the deserving and the needy get the priority over others.
At the meeting held on Sunday, members sought to know the fate of the names recommended to the RDA for inclusion in the BPL list. They pointed out that in the absence of well laid down criteria, benefits of the scheme should not go to the rich and the well do to people.
Former Curtorim Zilla Panchayat member Santan Rodrigues said that the Panchayat should ascertain the background of the names suggested for inclusion in the BPL list. “It should not happen that the Below Poverty Line scheme should not turn into Churchill Poverty Line scheme”, he said, while demanding transparency in the working of the scheme.
Santan sought to know the criteria governing the BPL scheme and asserted that the benefits of the scheme should first go to the poor and deserving villagers.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme also came up for discussion. It was pointed out that people are coming to the Panchayat for money following statements made by the RDA Minister Churchill Alemao that they can claim money from the village Panchayat for doing farm work.
The Panchayat’s annual budget also came in for discussions, with members seeking to know from the Chair over the meager provision of Rs 25,000 made for garbage management in the village.l
Saying that the provision will not in any way help in tackling garbage collection and disposal, Santano suggested that the Panchayat hike the provision to minimum Rs one lakh. A suggestion was also made to increase the monetary provision for land acquistion from Rs 5000 to Rs 50,000.
The children’s park mooted in the village also came up for discussion, with member Charles Barretto demanding to know the status of the project. He pointed out that project was tendered under the government scheme, but work on the project has still not commenced at the site.
