Team Herald
MARGAO: Just one of the 30 panchayats in Salcete is yet to constitute its Village Development Committee (VDC) and as many as 14 panchayats have constituted the VDC without constituting the mandatory standing committee.
However, one panchayat has resolved that all members of the Standing Committees will be members of the VDC.
It would be pertinent to point out that as per the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, every panchayat has to constitute three Standing Committees namely Amenities Committee, Social Justice Committee and Production Committee.
The Village Development Committee which is mandated under the 14th Finance Commission has to have members of all the Standing Committees and any other committee constituted by the panchayat and this committee is supposed to prepare a village development plan and accordingly ask for funds for implementing the village development plan.
In Salcete, only the Raia panchayat has prepared the village development plan. The government had asked the panchayats to constitute the Village Development Committees so that the panchayats can receive funds under the 14th Finance Commission.
Chinchinim Deussua is the only panchayat that has not constituted the Village Development Committee. Sarpanch Flory Pereira disclosed that the same will be constituted on October 14 at a specially convened meeting.
“The Village Development Committee will be constituted by members of the various panchayat committees who will meet on October 14 and not at a gram sabha,” she said even though the Village Development Committee is to be constituted by the gram sabha.
Chandor Cavorim is one of the 14 villages that have not constituted the Standing Committees. However, Chandor Cavorim while constituting the Village Development Committee resolved that members of the Standing Committees as and when formed will be members of the Village Development Committee.
The other 13 panchayats that have not constituted the Standing Committees in Salcete are: Telaulim, Navelim, Davorlim Dicarpale, Sirlim, Benaulim, Cavelossim, Ambelim, Rachol, Sarzora, Paroda, Colva, Macasana, Nuvem and Loutolim.
