MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024
Team Herald
PONDA: Usgao Village Panchayat on Friday strongly opposed to the new Directorate of Panchayats circular asking the panchayats for clearing their development works files through Directorate of anchayats.
The panchayat also said that the old procedure is the best and so the government should appoint the required assistant engineer at Taluka BDO office.
While addressing the media persons along with Sarpanch Sangeeta Gaonkar, Panch Tulshidas Prabu and other panchas, Deputy Sarpanch Ramanth Dangi said, “This is an attempt of the government to deprive the panchayats of their powers. This procedure will only delay the development works in the villages as the precious time will get wasted in sending the files to Panjim, Margao offices of the concerned department. Earlier, at Taluka level the BDO and PWD engineers used to clear the files for the development works and were taking two to three months time. But now the development works are halted due to the movement of files in the different offices due to new the circular which is a lengthy procedure and delays works.”
Dangi demanded that as per the old procedure the development works files/ tenders of the panchayats should be cleared through BDO and engineers at the taluka level which would be easy for smooth development of the villages. If the government wants to process the files through AE and EE of their choice they can appoint them at the taluka level for the processing of the development works files and tenders.
“Earlier the development works files were cleared through BDO office. But now the new circular of Directorate of Panchayats dated July 31, has directed the panchayats in State to process their development works files through Directorate of Panchayats, Executive Engineer and Assistant Engineer at Panjim,” he added.
“This would be a tedious work for the panchayats and it would take time carrying files to the engineers at Panjim, Margao, Directorate of Panchayats etc and further due to the lengthy procedure it would likely to take one year’s time for the approval of the development files from Panjim. In case, the file is rejected it would cause more delay affecting and halting the villages’ development works,” Dangi said.
He said, “Earlier it would take two months for clearing the files and we used to send the files/tenders for approval of the government amounting to Rs 5 lakh but now even the files with development works costing Rs 50,000 would be required to send to Directorate of Panchayats for approval.”
He questioned why the government is making it a tedious job to get the approval from DoPs.
