PORVORIM: Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday said that it will take at least a generation to fulfill the dream of ‘Viksit Bharat’ as most of the village panchayats lack basic facilities.
Speaking during demands for grants for transport, industries, trade and commerce and panchayats, he said, Zilla Panchayats (ZPs) are being treated like children and given ‘pocket money’. Many panchayats do not have Panchayat Ghar. Out of 191 village panchayats, only 11 panchayat offices are powered by solar energy. Siolim-Sodiem panchayat halls have not got occupancy certificate from the directorate of panchayats.”
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“There are no crematoriums in 42 villages. Very few villages have burial sites. There are no MRF facilities in 10 villages. Out of 191 panchayats only five have dog shelters while, 135 village panchayats do not have citizen service centres for accessing online services, and only 36 village panchayats have online payment facilities of house tax,” he pointed out.
Sardesai said while some Panchayat Secretaries had been transferred thrice in two years while there were some who had not been transferred for many years.
He said residents of Mapusa had been voting for BJP since 2007, but still they were waiting for a bus stand.
He said the GoaMiles taxi aggregator has been allotted a counter at Dabolim airport but the tourist taxi association, Vasco, had not been given the same.
“Three cab aggregators, including Ola and Uber, had applied for permission but they were denied it by the State Transport Authority, which asked which guidelines should be followed- Central or State? But if it was so, then why was GoaMiles given permission?” he asked.
The Fatorda MLA pointed out that fares of autorickshaws and yellow and black motorcycle pilots had not been increased for the last 11 years.
