MARGAO: Train MLAs and ministers first in administration before involving us, was the outcry of 115 participants when Goa Institute of Public Administration & Rural Development (GIPART) was conducting a training session for Salcete panchayats.
Carmona Sarpanch Sandra Martins set the ball rolling when she thundered that MLAs desperately needed to be trained first, given the fact that huge rain forest trees at the KTC bus stand in Margao were felled mercilessly for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
“The trees would have turned the carbon dioxide generated by the thousand people gathered there and instead they were cut down thereby increasing carbon footprints,” she said.
Another person pointed out that in the past, no tree was cut even when foreign dignitaries arrived in Goa and criticised the administration over tree felling before PM’s visit.
A hue and cry was also raised over the pathetic conditions of the toilets at Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex.
GIPARD for the first time was conducting a session on Carbon Neutrality in Panchayats for Salcete and explained how panchayats should protect and preserve trees to reduce carbon footprints.
WHEN THE LIGHTING TAX ISSUE STRUCK LIKE LIGHTNING
The discussion got heated when the subject of ‘Own Source Revenue’ came up for discussion, with Xavier Fernandes, Raia panchayat member, pointing out that panchayats cannot levy lighting tax as the Electricity Department is already doing it and nobody can be taxed twice.
However, Camorlim Sarpanch Basilio Fernandes argued that this tax could be collected to create funds to install a new power distribution line in areas that do not have it.
GIPARD trainees were compelled to admit that the government’s claim of being 100 per cent “open defecation free” was false following various people exposing its fallacy.
“With rampant open defecation at Cutbona fishing jetty, at least my panchayat cannot claim to be open defecation free,” said Veena Cardoso, Velim Sarpanch.
Campaigner for Biodiversity and former ZP member Santan Rodrigues pointed out that though government is promoting organic farming there is no agency in Goa that can give an organic label to products for marketing.
Varca Sarpanch Selu Fernandes created quite a stir as she pointed out that the ladies toilet was overflowing with water while the cleaning staff was sleeping in the adjacent rest room.
She passed her mobile phone showing photographs of the flooded toilet and the sleeping staff much to the chagrin of those present.
