MARGAO: Although 151 projects have been sanctioned in the South Goa District under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the work is yet to commence as the Centre is yet to disburse the funds for these projects.
While the centre provides 90 per cent of the funds under MNREGA scheme, the balance 10 per cent is the State’s contribution. During the current financial year as on December 2017, the Centre disbursed Rs 24.98 lakh while the State disbursed Rs 1.78 lakh during the same period.
Incidentally, the amount of Rs 4.9 lakh, which was received in December 2017 from the Centre, was used to pay the pending bills that amounted to more than Rs 5 lakh then.
The South Goa District comprises seven blocks, which are primarily the seven talukas of South Goa namely – Canacona, Quepem, Sanguem, Dharbandora, Ponda, Salcete and Mormugao.
In Salcete, as many as 27 projects have been sanctioned and are waiting for the funds for their execution. The villages in which these projects are sanctioned are Chandor-Cavorim, Sarzora, Camurlim, Chinchinim-Deussua, Davorlim-Dicarpale, Sao Jose de Areal, Telaulim and Velim (two in each village); Macasana and Raia (one), Loutolim and Seraulim (three) Nuvem and Rachol (four).
There are below the benchmark set up by the Director of Rural Development Agency that wants at least five sanctioned projects per panchayat so that as and when funds are released the panchayat can decide which work to take on priority.
The breakup of the expenses during the last financial year are Rs 1.63 crore towards wages for the labourers, Rs 16.29 lakh towards material and Rs 1.54 lakh towards administrative expenses.
