MARGAO
As nature’s fury left a trail of destruction across the state after three days of incessant and heavy rains, South Goa Zilla panchayat members were left fuming after they realized that each member is entitled to just Rs 2000 to render assistance under the national calamity grant.
The ZP members also demanded to know how much the district Panchayat body is entitled to as per the law for grants under the Finance Commission and how the body has received funds to date and the utilization of the grants.
At the meeting chaired by ZP Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar, agitated members pointed out that the Rs 50,000 fund under the head natural calamity is too meagre to render any assistance to any of the victims of natural calamity as each of the 25 members will be entitled to receive just Rs 2000 grant for distribution.
Members pointed out that when the ZP members were on the ground in the last two days to render help to the affected people, they were questioned about the nature of monetary help and assistance that can be rendered by the ZP to the victims; “When we inquired with the office, we were shocked to know that the ZP has allocated just Rs 50,000 under the head natural calamity. The South ZP comprises 25 members and if we divide the funds, each member will get just Rs 2000”, the members pointed out.
Members also raised the question of assistance given by the authorities for the affected victim, with a member pointing out that though the victims suffered huge losses, they were finally compensated with a meagre amount of Rs 5000.
Davorlim ZP member Paresh Naik raised the question of illegal business activities in the Rumdamol housing board, saying activities such as meat stalls, mobile stores, scrap yards etc have been mushrooming in the area.
Naik made a plea to the ZP Chairperson to make a letter to the authorities including the District Collector, FDA, Panchayat, the Goa Housing Board and the Communiade body to put a stop to the illegal commercial activities. “Right now, I am not going into the illegal houses that have come up at the housing board colony. The Goa Housing Board had come with LIG, MIG and HIG housing schemes at Rumdamol, but these colonies have been converted into business activities,” he said.
He also called for an inspection to find out the encroachments on the Commundiade land as well as on the land belonging to the Goa Housing Board.
