PANJIM: Goa Government has finally constituted a three-member ‘Third State Finance Commission’ that was pending for over a decade.
The three-member Commission is headed by former retired finance secretary IAS Daulat Hawaldar with Y Durgaprasadas the member secretary and Gurunath Potekar as its member.
Apart from this, Director Panchayat, Director Accounts, Director Municipal Administration and Joint Secretary Finance would be special invitee on the Commission.
The Commission will be in place for a period of one year within which it has to submit its report recommending various measures to strengthen panchayat body.
As per the order issued by Director Panchayat Siddhi Halankar on December 31, last month, the Commission has to recommend to the government various measures to improve the financial position of the local bodies.
It has to also recommend determining the taxes, toll, duties and fees that could be implemented by the local bodies.
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 expired in 2010.
In 2012, a committee under then Minister Laxmikant Parsekar was formed to recommend formation of the Third State Finance Commission; however no steps were taken thereafter.
Goa Finance Commission has been established in the state in 1999.The Finance Commission in Goa has been set up according to the guidelines that have been laid down in the Indian Constitution.
The chairman of the first Goa Finance Commission that was set up in 1999 was Dr. V A Pai Panandikar.
