TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The Government’s ambitious plan to lift dry and plastic waste from the rural and urban areas has only a few takers even as the government is determined to implement the plan just two days from now, on February 1.
Only 10 out of 189 panchayat bodies and a lone civic body of Curchorem-Cacora have evinced interest to carry out door-to-door waste collection and segregation before the government-appointed contractor moves in and lifts the waste from collection points.
Of the 30 panchayats in Salcete taluka, records from the department of Science and Technology showed that only the Chandor-Cavorim and Cana-Benaulim panchayats have expressed their willingness to implement the plan of action.
The reasons behind the lukewarm response received from the local bodies seem to be varied and different with each panchayats. While the government has been insisting that panchayats avail funds amounting to Rs 50,000 for collection and segregation of dry waste, many a sarpancha maintained that the amount was too meagre to support the waste collection exercise. Moreover, they pointed out that the panchayats are required to comply with tendering procedure to appoint local contractors to carry out the work of waste collection.
Raia Sarpanch Xavier Fernandes says: “Raia panchayat has already utilised the Rs 50,000 amount for garbage collection. But, what we have observed is that the amount is too inadequate. Our estimation shows that bigger panchayats would require minimum Rs 3 lakh annually to meet the cost of collection and segregation. The panchayat bodies should be happy if the government steps in and shares the expenses”. The situation is no better for smaller panchayat bodies, facing financial constraints, sarpanchas maintained.
Director of Science & Technology, Levinson Martins said that the government would go ahead with the waste collection plan from the villages and municipalities which have evinced interest in the exercise. “We will make a beginning from February 1 in the 10 panchayats and the lone civic body by collecting waste from the designated centres,” he said, and hoped that other panchayats and municipalities would soon join the programme.
On the demands for a hike in grants and other financial incentives to implement the scheme, Martins said the government is seized of the financial demands raised by the panchayats. “The government would certainly work out a financial package to back the programme, but the local bodies should set in motion the process by availing of the Rs 50,000 funds towards the purpose,” he said.
Chief Secretary B Vijayan had an interaction with the representatives of panchayats and municipal bodies last month in a bid to motivate the local bodies to support the program of dry waste collection.
