the goan I network
MARGAO
With 41 out of the 122 development works tendered by the South Goa Zilla Panchayat body pertains to work at religious institutions and places of worship, either at the Temples or Chapels and Churches, social activists have on Thursday questioned the rationale behind taking up developmental activities at religious places with tax payers money.
Chief Executive officer, South Goa Zilla Panchayat, Pandarinath Naik, however, said the Act is silent on the question of taking up development works near places of worship. He, however, said taking up developmental works by various agencies near places of worship is not new in Goa, adding that the South Goa ZP panchayat can take a call on the issue at its meeting scheduled on Friday.
Addressing the media on the eve of the ordinary meeting of Zilla Panchayat scheduled on Friday, Dattaram Mahesh Nayak and Felix Dias have demanded a probe into the tendering of 41 developmental works which will be executed near places of worship. The duo pointed out that some works planned by South Goa Zilla panchayat near the religious institutions pertains to construction of compound walls, pavers with parapets, beautification works, shed, gutters, chequered tiles, stage rooms etc.
“Nowhere in the Zilla Panchayat Act and Rules it is mentioned that the works can be carried out by the South Goa ZP near religious institutions”, they said.
The duo have dashed off a letter to the government to issue necessary instructions to the South Goa Zilla Panchayat to cancel these developmental works and save the tax payers money from being spent on religious institutions. “We will wait for the government to take a call. If the government does not take any steps, we will knock the doors of the competent authority for adequate reliefs”, both Mahesh and Felix said, issuing a warning that they will institute proceedings for the recovery of money from the concerned officers of the Zilla Panchayat.
