Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that House tax and Garbage tax will be compulsorily collected by the village panchayat from all residents, including those living on rent, to tackle the growing
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garbage issue.
During the solid waste management (SWM) review meeting, Sawant highlighted that 70 per cent of village panchayats do not undertake waste management properly.
Such panchayats will be monitored by the government.
It was also decided to impose fines on those private and commercial establishments, which do not segregate waste.
The Chief Minister instructed village panchayats to maintain cleanliness and asked them to avail the provisions of the Union government and the State government under Swachha Bharat Mission Gramin and to utilises SBM funds allocated by the 15th Finance Commission.
Sawant stated that the village panchayats must carry out the garbage segregation and issue circulars to hotels and shacks. He also said that the government will hand over the management of toilets under the Department of Tourism to the panchayats for better administration.
Sawant said, “Swachh Goem, Sundar Goem is our mission and everyone should work together to achieve it.”
The Chief Minister has asked all village panchayats to appoint contractors compulsorily and to empanel them with Goa Waste Management Corporation. The panchayats have asked to erect sheds and have also been given a schedule to streamline the process within next two months.
Sawant said that he will also convene a meeting of all concerned departments, contractors and stakeholders in order to treat all types of waste such as biodegradable, non-biodegradable, industrial waste and hazardous waste. After spending large amount of money the government will ensure that no garbage is littered in the State.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo, Saligao MLA Kedar Naik and officials with the sarpanchas, panchayat members, and panchayat secretaries of the coastal village panchayats in North Goa district were present during the SWM review meeting.
