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Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial aid for weaker VP's remain only on paper -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the government announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh to the weaker panchayats last year, the scheme received instant acclaim from many a financially weak panchayat body. Assolna, Ambelim and Rachol were among the 16 weaker panchayats from Salcete, which became eligible for the financial assistance, but now find themselves in the lurch for no fault of theirs, thus defeating the very purpose of the scheme.
The reason is simple: The estimates prepared by these three bodies have till date not received the mandatory technical sanction from the PWD. What's more is that the estimate files are presently lying unattended at the BDO office after they were returned back by the PWD.And, no one is willing to accept the blame for this sorry state-of-affairs right from the PWD, BDO's office to the Director of Panchayats.
The PWD, Div VI maintains that its office is overburdened with work and cannot spare technical people to accord sanction for the panchayats. "My office is overburdended with work, including the MPLAD scheme. Moreover, there's no notification authorising a particular department accord the sanction", informed Executive Engineer, Souza.
Salcete BDO, Jhonson Fernandes says the estimates prepared by his office vis-a-vis these three panchayats were returned back by the PWD five months ago. "My office has drawn the attention of the Director of Panchayats on the matter in January last and again at the fag end of May. I am awaiting further directions", he said.
When contacted, Director of Panchayats, P M Borkar expressed his helplessness in the matter, saying the problem concerns another department. Borkar, however, said he did bring the stalemate to the notice of the Chief Engineer, PWD, who he said complained of manpower shortage at various divisions.
Given the peculiar situation and as a temporary measure, the Director says his office has extended time for utilisation of the grants for these bodies, but could not accurately state whether the three village panchayats would at all be in a position to utilise the grants of last financial year and the current year.
Says Ambelim Sarpanch, Suraj Fernandes: "It's a sheer irony that while the government on the one hand gives a grant, the amount remains unutilised for want of a technical sanction. The government should take a policy decision and ensure the panchayats do not suffer due to technicalities". Ambelim panchayat had prepared estimates for constructions of drains, repairs of roads etc, but in vain. ------------------------------------ HERALD 4/6/04 page 4 ------------------------------------
======================================= GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE Documentation + Education + Solidarity 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 Tel: 2252660 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] website: www.goadesc.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy =======================================
