Goemkarponn desk
VASCO: Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday announced that unutilised funds from various panchayats would be redirected to the Swachh Bharat Mission. The announcement was made during his visit to the Bogmalo beach Ganesh Visarjan site, where he also launched a bucket-mounted crane for the Electricity Department.
Speaking to reporters, Godinho expressed concern over panchayats that have failed to utilize funds allocated through the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions, choosing instead to keep these funds in banks to earn interest. “The unutilised funds of the Panchayat go directly to the Swachh Bharat Mission program. Some panchayats have kept the funds received through the 14th Finance Commission in banks for interest through fixed deposit when these funds are meant to be used for development. The centre asks us if these funds are utilized or not, and they have to get a utilization certificate to receive further funds. Unless you do the work, panchayats cannot get further funds,” Godinho stated.
In a significant move to enhance waste management, Godinho revealed plans to empanel a garbage contractor in every panchayat in consultation with the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC).
“We have now planned to empanel a garbage contractor in every panchayat of Goa. Panchayats and GWMC will jointly empanel these contractors, and if some panchayats already have contractors and are satisfied with them, we will ask those contractors to empanel themselves without disrupting the panchayat’s operations. The emphasis is that a responsible contractor takes charge of collecting garbage, segregating it, and sending solid waste to the GWMC or coordinating with the Goa State Pollution Control Board,” Godinho explained.
He also highlighted the importance of procuring machines for the disposal of sanitary pads, stating that panchayats would have to purchase these machines from their funds and ensure their effective use.
“All these initiatives are being implemented in a very systematic manner, and within the next nine months, we will have all this digitized as well,” Godinho added.
Elaborating on the digitization plan, Godinho mentioned that 21 services would be digitized in a phased manner, with 13 services in the first phase and the remaining 8 in the next three months.
“We will digitize most services within the next ten months, and we are also trying to provide every panchayat with additional staff to manage these digital systems, so they are not left handicapped by someone not being trained for the job,” he said.
During his inspection of the Bogmalo beach Ganesh Visarjan site, Godinho emphasized the need for safety and proper arrangements. “Many people come to the beach for the immersion of Ganesh idols, and there has to be a sufficient number of lifeguards and proper illumination to avoid any dangers. I have asked Drishti to increase the number of lifeguards, which they have agreed to, and I have also directed the electricity department to ensure that all the light fixtures are functional,” Godinho noted.
He further introduced a bucket-mounted crane aimed at improving safety and efficiency for linemen and tree cutters.
“Many of the linemen climb poles to address power issues, but they have chances of slipping and falling. The same risk applies to tree cutters, especially during bad weather. This crane will resolve all these issues, allowing for necessary changes and providing better equipment to help improve the power supply in a faster manner,” Godinho concluded.
