Goemkarponn desk
NAVELIM: The panchayats in Goa want to work with a vision of overall development, but the panchayats are suffering as a lot of time is being wasted in clearing the files for government court approval.
The most well-equipped panchayat house and the award-winning Navelim panchayat in South Goa is also facing similar problems.
Due to delays in the approval of files, repair work, cleaning of gutters, etc., the Panchayat area is stalled.
The Panchayat has so far completed many developmental works with the funds received under the Panchayat Fund and the 14th Finance Commission.
The remaining works are stalled due to the time-consuming process of seeking approval and sending the files to the concerned department.
In all the departments of the Panchayat, many proposed works like cleaning of gutters, repair of gutters, construction of new gutters, construction of children’s park, technical approval, cost approval etc. have been sent for approval, informed Deputy Panch Paul Pereira.
He said that even though the files have been sent after going through all the necessary procedures like no-objection certificate, resolution etc., required for these works, the concerned departments are wasting time stating some other reasons.
He demanded that the government should focus on this as soon as possible. He also said that many tasks of the Panchayat are stalled due to the lack of a full-time secretary and executive engineer.
It is irksome for many panchayats to manage the daily waste generated in society.
Whereas Navelim Panchayat has set an example for others by managing waste properly. All the Panch members and citizens of Navelim panchayat are working to solve the waste problem, and they have also received the Panchayat Sanitation Award from South Goa for this achievement.
However, as they are not getting any help from the waste management board to transport the waste, they have to send it for waste processing using the panchayat funds, said Bebinda Gonsalves, sarpanch of Navelim panchayat.
Garbage from 11 wards of Navelim Panchayat is being sorted as wet and dry waste. The accumulated dry waste is supplied to the Solid Waste Management Corporation, while the emphasis is on processing the wet waste within the Panchayat itself.
He said that the waste sent to the corporation was earlier picked up by the board, but now that the board has stopped picking up the waste, many funds are being wasted to send the waste to the Panchayat every day. He also said that the Panchayat is working hard on this as it has stopped receiving funds.
The Panchayat has completed the beautification of Navelim Market, asphalting of roads, erection of protection walls, construction of nallas etc. using the funds of the 14th Finance Commission at a cost of about Rs. 23 lakhs.
Earlier, the condition of the market in Navelim was so bad that the sellers were selling on the sidewalk outside the market. He said that new transformers have been installed in many places to solve the power problem faced by the people, and work has also been undertaken to lay underground conduits.
