TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Panchayats in Salcete appeared a confused lot on Monday over the government grant to tackle garbage menace.
Even as the government has come out with a scheme titled the Goa Panchayats (Grants to tackle garbage menace) scheme, 2014, promising grant of Rs one lakh to each of the panchayat bodies, some of the panchayats in Salcete have received orders for grants, ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh.
Rachol Sarpanch Joseph Vaz, who visited the office of the Salcete Block Development Officer M S Mardolkar on Monday evening, cried foul over the government grant. “The BDO has issued an order sanctioning Rs 50,000 for the Rachol panchayat to tackle the garbage menace when the government has announced that each panchayat will receive Rs one lakh annually. I fail to understand why some of the panchayats have received Rs 50,000 and others Rs one lakh”, Joseph protested.
When Herald contacted BDO Mardolkar, he said the Panchayat Director will shed light on why certain panchayat bodies have received only Rs 50,000 while others have received orders for Rs one lakh.
In the meantime, panchayat members have called for the streamlining of the scheme. Curtorim panch member and Convenor of Goa Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) J Santan Rodrigues said the cumbersome procedure will only render the scheme time consuming and difficult to implement. “As per the new scheme, the panchayats are required to adopt a resolution and forward the same to the BDO. After scrutiny, the file will go to the PWD for approval. The sanction order will come only after the file gets the clearance from the Panchayat Director. This will only cause delay in the implementation of the scheme”, Rodrigues said, adding that even small road and drainage works are pending with the BDO
or PWD office for want of quick clearance from these authorities.
