Panchayat Minister Dayanand Mandrekar on Monday announced that the Panchayats are in the process of drawing up a three year action plan to clear non-biodegradable plastic, segregation of garbage at source, stop all open defecation and ensure that every house has a toilet in three year’s time.
The announcement came after legislators-ruling and opposition, grilled Mandrekar over non-granting of financial support to the Panchayats for collection, segregation and treatment of solid waste. The minister, who found himself on the back foot claimed that the government has initiated many schemes for disposal and treatment of garbage, however received no response.
“Panchayats are in the process of drawing up a three year action plan to clear non biodegradable plastic, segregation of garbage at source, stop all open defecation, maintain all community toilets and ensure that every house has a toilet in three year’s time by using funds from the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan Gram Scheme of Government of India released in December, 2014,” he said announcing that the scheme would be launched in Panchayats from August 17.
Mandrekar said that as per the 14th Finance Commission, a grant of Rs 120 crore is allotted to the State for garbage, under which a provision is also been made to increase the funds for the small panchayats from existing Rs 50,000 to Rs 14 lakhs annually.
“The Department of Panchayat will be utilizing the 14th Finance Grants to maintain cleanliness in all the 190 Village Panchayats. The work of creating awareness and publicity as well as preparation of Village Development Plan in which works/projects to maintain cleanliness in the village is planned to be completed by December, 2015 and this programme will continue till March 2020,” he said.
The question was tabled by Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, who highlighted the very fact that despite several panchayats doing good job in managing the garbage, no financial support is provided by the department. He was rightly supported by Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai and Rohan Khaunte along with BJP legislator Nilesh Cabral.
Responding to the same, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar announced that the proposed solid waste treatment facilities in North and South Goa will help in resolving the garbage disposal crisis of the State. “The work of North Goa plant at Saligao-Calangute plateau is 70 percent complete and we are sure that the plant will commence before the scheduled time,” he said.
