PANJIM: The three-member State Finance Commission submitted its report to the Governor of Goa PS Sreedharan Pillai on Wednesday. The report will come for discussion before the State cabinet and is expected to be passed. The five-year plan will be presented before the upcoming State Legislative Assembly budget session of the State Legislative Assembly.
The report contains financial as well as non-financial recommendations with regard to panchayats, municipalities and Zilla Panchayats (ZPs) for 2024-29.
It may be recalled that the commission had extensive meetings with these elected bodies by visiting their respective offices and had received suggestions from various public groups.
The Commission is expected to recommend a host of measures to strengthen the local bodies, improve their financial position and bring sustainability at local governing level. It is also likely to recommend determining the taxes, toll, duties and fees that could be implemented by the local bodies; and also recommend mandatory training for local elected members through the Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development, (GIPARD).
It may be recalled that after almost 12 years, in January 2022, the State government had constituted the Third State Finance Commission under former retired finance secretary IAS Daulat Hawaldar. The formation of the Third State Finance Commission was pending since 2009-10 after the term of Second State Finance Commission headed by IAS officer (late) Alban Couto finished in 2010.
