Integrated Cluster Action Plan approved for Xeldem

Team Herald

MARGAO: Rural Development Secretary has approved the Integrated Cluster Action Plan (ICAP) for Xeldem cluster under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission whereby the State can now get around Rs 30 crore from the Centre for developing the 11 panchayat areas from Quepem taluka.

To prepare the concrete plan for the villages, Project Director District Rural Development Agency, South Laura Britto e Madre de Deus will now convene a meeting of all the concerned departments on March 28 following which a meeting with the elected members of the 11 panchayats will be held.

The ICAP seeks to provide various facilities in the villages so that they can have same facilities available in urban areas without losing the rural character. Towards this end, connectivity to neighbouring villages by even providing new bus services if required and providing drains by the road side will be undertaken.

More significantly, under Agri Service Centre, facilities to test milk in villages will be provided besides promoting drip irrigation facilities among other plans that need to be approved by the panchayats.

Other important facilities planned for the villages are 24 hour water supply and daily door-to-door garbage collection system along with vermin-composting facilities at many places.

Towards sanitation, it is proposed to provide toilets for households as well as community and also have a sewerage system in the villages and the site of the sewerage treatment plant will have to be decided by the elected members of the panchayats.

Flood control measures are also proposed and have to be identified by the panchayats along with sites for playgrounds and skill development training centres.

Rurban mission also envisages digital literacy to at least one member of each household in the 11 villages besides also setting up an e-citizen service centre on the lines of Mahiti Ghars

Xeldem cluster in Goa amongst the 100 clusters selected for implementation of the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission in the first phase. 

While 70 per cent of the funds for the projects identified under this mission will be by convergence of existing schemes, 30 per cent will be provided by the Centre directly.