PANJIM: The opposition Congress party on Wednesday demanded that the State government should clear financial assistance/doles of Rs 330.78 cr of various beneficiaries of the social security schemes.
Stating that various schemes of the Social Welfare Department, Women and Child Development and Department of Sports and Youth Affairs were due for more than eight years, Congress Media Cell Chairman Amarnath Panjikar charged that the BJP government had money to spend on events for “Mission Total Commission” but had no funds to pay the needy Goans. Panjikar questioned whether Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will make sure that the entire amount is disbursed before September 15.
An amount of Rs 35.73 cr is pending of various social welfare beneficiaries which include an amount of Rs 21.50 cr towards Covid-19 relief to marginalised and unorganised sector. Also an amount of Rs 1.60 cr is not disbursed to 80 families of persons who died due to Covid-19 disease. While, another Rs 1.60 cr is pending for disbursement as financial assistance to persons with severe disabilities. Also an amount of Rs 55 cr is pending of Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS) beneficiaries for last two months, he said.
The government has not paid Rs 3.06 cr for OBC students towards Post-Matric Scholarship, Rs 4.37 lakh to SC students for Pre-Matric Scholarship, Rs 1.06 cr to OBC students for Pre-Matric Scholarship. The government has also not paid Rs 8.58 cr for SC, OBC and EWS towards Atal Asra Yojana.
Also an amount of Rs 2 cr is pending towards financial assistance to sportspersons and pending prize money to sportspersons. Unfortunately 19 medal winners of Special Olympics held in Germany are not rewarded till date due to “Paucity of Funds”, the Congress said. On one hand the government increased the allowances and other facilities of the Members of Legislative Assembly putting additional burden on the treasury. The government is spending multiple crores on events but sadly had no money to pay to the needy and deserving sportspersons, Panjikar said.
Senior citizens from Pernem have complained that they have no money to buy medicines and to celebrate the ensuing Chaturthi.
festival as the government had not credit their monthly financial assistance under DSSS Yojana for the last two months.
