MARGAO: Former sarpanch of Rachol Joseph Vas, while welcoming the 50 per cent hike in the salary and allowance of elected panchayat members, has appealed that they be paid at least Rs 10,000 per month.
In a memorandum addressed to the Director of Panchayats and also the panchayat minister, he argued that the responsibilities and duties cast on the elected panchayat members have increased manifold and the amount paid to them is “meagre”.
He pointed out that the previous panchayat minister and chief minister had promised a 100 per cent increase in their payments besides paying them pension and gratuity. He also reminded Mauvin Godinho that at a function at Ravindra Bhavan he had promised maximum hike in their payment.
Hence, he appealed that all elected panchayat members be paid at least Rs 10,000 per month.
The government has announced a payment of Rs 2000 as allowance and same amount as salary to sarpanchas while for deputy sarpanchas are paid salary of Rs 2000 and Rs 1500 as allowance. All elected panchayat members are paid Rs 2000 as salary and Rs 1000 as allowance.
Incidentally, the government has sanctioned the payment of salaries and allowances to the panchayat from June 2017 to March 2018 as follows: For panchayats with five members – Rs 1,65,000; seven member panchayats – Rs 2,25,000; nine member panchayats – Rs 2,85,000 and 11 member panchayats – Rs 3,45,000.
