MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024
Team Herald
BICHOLIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday informed that the Centre has approved a scheme to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore through MNERGA, which will provide direct employment to local men and women.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Tillari canal cleaning and sludge removal work at Sal-Bicholim by the State RDA & WRD.
Under the scheme, the 120-km long Tillari Canal will be cleaned by local women and men workers at around Rs 1.5 crore.
Sawant said, “From now on many government jobs will be given to the locals.
The Centre has provided Rs 1.43 crore for the project while the Goa government has provided a nominal Rs 7 lakh for repairing the 120-km long canal, which will provide employment to hundreds of people”.
Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo said the scheme is a major source of employment for Goans.
He said, “Around 1,809 locals were employed during the COVID period. Earlier the work which was done on contract basis did not benefit the locals. However, this scheme would provide employment to hundreds of locals.”
Bicholim MLA & Speaker Rajesh Patnekar said, “It is a huge task for the government to provide opportunities to the locals by adopting employment guarantee scheme for cleaning Tillari Canal.”
Shrikant Patil said, “In the past, contracts were given for canal cleaning but for the first time, locals will get employment and the money will be credited directly into their account.”
