MARGAO: Zilla Panchayat South Chairman Navnath Naik while clarifying that the utterances at the June 21 meeting regarding dissolution of the Zilla Panchayat was merely to vent members’ frustration, asserted that if the government was thinking of dissolving Zilla Panchayats, then the strength of the Legislative Assembly should also be decreased to 30.

Addressing media persons on Friday, he said that members were merely venting their grievances as Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho had gone on record to state that it was not possible to give powers to the Zilla Panchayat and hence it would be better to dissolve them and increase the strength of the Legislative Assembly as was done in Arunachal Pradesh.

He said the Zilla Panchayat was merely asking for management of the minor irrigation, primary health centres and primary schools which are being closed down due to lack of infrastructure and non-monitoring of the teachers.

He also pointed out that the Rs 2.29 crore allotted by the government was insufficient as it results in only around Rs 11 lakh being allotted to each ZP member which was not sufficient to do justice to the constituency.

“We are elected members just like the MLAs and the government should respect the people’s choice and give us the powers we are supposed to get,” he said.

Former chairperson Nelly Rodrigues, pointing out that she was serving for the fourth term, asserted that the government would never give powers to the Zilla Parishad because “the playground is too small and the players are too many”, she said quoting a previous minister.