Herald:  Why Goa failed to achieve the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in the recent ranking?

GODINHO: This is one area somehow where no attention was paid to this particular aspect. We were surprised when we learned after conducting the survey all over Goa that the official data showed us that 70,000 toilets were required. This itself speaks volumes of how much this particular aspect was neglected and even in rural areas particularly it was an accepted norm that early morning for the call of nature, people used to just go in the jungle which speaks very sadly for a progressive state like Goa when in all other parameters we rank top and this one aspect which nobody paid attention. I feel ashamed women folk in the villages or slums have to answer the call of nature out in the open. 

Herald:  What are the steps being taken by the government is trying to cover this gap and make Goa an ODF state?

GODINHO: The state government wants this gap to be covered by the end of October. There are three agencies involved. Previously building of toilets was under the PWD but now this has been transferred to the panchayat department. Our job was only to get a survey done. Once the survey is done, money will be placed at the disposal of the Goa Waste Management Corporation, so it is them who will be procuring these toilets, our job would be only identifying the beneficiates, getting it installed there and this is our limited work but never the less as we are answerable in the assembly and the house so overall responsibility would be of the panchayat ministry. Also we are moving fast in this direction. We would also be building community toilet and certain areas have been identified.

Herald:  Why have the Panchayat over the years have not utilised the funds to the maximum and you recently made a statement that only Rs 4 crore were utilised out of the Rs 27 crore funds?

GODINHO: My main emphasis was the funds which the panchayats are entitled to get from the centre under the 14th finance commission. We have around Rs 27 crore lying with us but there are no takers, after pushing them in the last 8 months only funds to the extent of four an half crores has been utilised whereas in the next five years the panchayats can get directly about Rs 150 crores from centre. Even the state government does not come into action, we come as far as giving sanctions for some works. It’s basically the panchayats who are basically not doing the home work and they are not in a position to submit proposals. Even in this we want to guide them and to do that we are in process of upgrading our own technical section so we don’t want to depend on PWD. I don’t know why the funds were not used before but now I can see a new awakening with newly elected sarapches.

   

Herald:  Can you elaborate on your statement that the government has plans to provide more autonomy to panchayat?

GODINHO: We are examining the powers of panchayat, as it is hardly anything, even to spend Rs 2 lakhs they have to come to the BDO. In this we want to form our technical sanction so that it does not even go to the BDO and it can get cleared faster. We are examining the proposal wherein why only Rs 2 lakhs, they should have power of Rs 5 lakhs. We are trying to shorten the time process but I must also say that it is power with responsibility; merely giving them more power and trying to make them more autonomous in their functioning will also bring responsibility. There are some panchayats who have utilised the funds very well.