Team Herald
MARGAO: The South Goa Zilla Panchayat at its meeting on Friday requested the government to install a statue of Dr Jack de Sequeira known as the Father of Opinion Poll in the assembly complex along with statues of others who had participated in the struggle but did not pass an official resolution to that effect.
Even as some members were discussing the issue, Jaideep Shirodkar from Shiroda suggested that statues of all those involved in the Opinion Poll struggle like Shabu Desai be also installed in the Assembly and hence it was decided to request the government to do so without passing an official resolution.
ZP Chairman Navnath Naik lamented that even the limited powers given to the Zilla Panchayat were sought to be diluted as the ZP has to take panchayat’s permission to undertake any work while the panchayat does not even consult the Zilla panchayat on any matters.
Refuting charges that they have not received any funds, he said for this financial year each ZP member has got funds amounting to Rs 35 lakh and was confident that each of the ZP member will get the targeted Rs 50 lakh before the end of the financial year.
“The completed work has to be shown and that is the only condition upon the ZP member,” he said disclosing that in the last three years they have received around Rs 21 crore.
