Team Herald
MARGAO: In a recent meeting, the South Goa Zilla Panchayat (SGZP) resolved to allocate Rs 1.71 crore from the octroi fund evenly among its elected members to support minor development projects across their respective constituencies. The decision finalised during a session led by newly-elected chairperson Sanjana Velip, aims to boost infrastructure development in rural areas.
Two-time ZP member Deepak Naik Borkar strongly advocated for the equal distribution of the octroi fund, which is collected as a tax from petrol pumps, to ensure that each constituency could benefit from local projects. “This fund will greatly help us in carrying out small but essential development works in our areas,” Borkar said during the meeting.
Another key issue discussed was the effective use of grants received from the 15th Finance Commission, a first for the South Goa ZP. Several members expressed concerns that the projects intended to be funded by the 15th Finance Commission grants were instead being processed under the Rural Infrastructure Development (RID) fund. Members sought an explanation from the ZP’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gaurish Shankhwalkar, regarding the reallocation of funds. Other ZP members Michelle Rebello and Anita Thorat called for clarity on delay in completing pending projects.
The meeting concluded with a focus on expediting the pending development projects and ensuring that the funds available are utilised effectively for the betterment of the rural constituencies.