TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Did the Goa government falsely inform the Centre that the decade old district planning committees (DPC) are functioning well in Goa with adequate manpower?
In a startling revelation, Chairperson of South Goa District Planning Committee (DPC) Nelly Rodrigues claimed that the government has given a rosy picture about the state of DPCs in the state with an eye on the central funds.
Saying that the information was given to her by two officials appointed by the central government to find out the status of DPCs in Goa, Nelly said the DPCs has been literally lying defunct for want of manpower from the government. “
There’s no manpower available with the DPC to carry out the planning. We have briefed the officials about the state of affairs of the DPC in south Goa”, she said, while hoping that the Centre’s intervention will help in activating the DPCs.
Nelly said the South Goa DPC has decided to hold taluka level meetings in a bid to help the Panchayat bodies submit their development plan for consolidation into a district plan.
“Let us try to put the district development plan in place. We will have to mobilise every panchayat and sarpanch to give their plans during the taluka-level meetings”, she said.
Admitting that the panchayat bodies have no wherewithal and machinery to take up the planning process, Nelly said the DPC has invited experts to guide the panchayats how to go about the job.
Incidentally, the DPC Chairperson pointed out that only 23 panchayats in South Goa have submitted their development plans to the district planning panel till date.
