the goan I network
VASCO
The Chicalim Panchayat has bagged the best green panchayat award from Governor Mridula Sinha under the Swachh Bharat Mission for 2018.
Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday presented the citation of the award to Sarpanch Seby Pereira at the Chicalim Panchayat.
Though the award was officially handed over to Chicalim Sarpanch Seby Pereira by Governor Sinha on December 19, a function was organised in the panchayat on Tuesday to celebrate the award.
All the panchas, the panchayat secretary and BDO along with other staff were present on the occasion.
Commending the Chicalim panchayat for bagging the award, Godinho said Chicalim had been chosen as the cleanest panchayat in Goa despite not having a dedicated garbage treatment site.
“This speaks volumes of the efforts put in by the panchayat to keep the area clean. Besides the village, Chicalim panchayat also caters to the naval enclaves and Dabolim Airport and as such, the task to keep the entire village clean has been a big challenge.
Chicalim Sarpanch Seby Pereira said the award was a collective effort by all Panch members who had kept their respective wards clean, adding that Godinho had been a pillar of strength to the panchayat and had always extended full support to the Panchayat.
“Besides banning the use of plastic in the village, the Panchayat had conducted various awareness drives and cleanliness drives from time to time,” said Pereira, while also thanking the BDO, Staff, Panch members and the Panchayat secretary for contributing to the award.
Mormugao BDO Deepak Vaigankar said the Chicalim panchayat was working to maintain cleanliness without even being aware that there was an award for cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
“More than the award, Chicalim panchayat developed a huge civic sense among the people,” he added.
Vaigankar informed that the compactor given by Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho to the Chicalim panchayat would be shared with neighbourhood panchayats like Bogmalo and Sancoale.
“All panchayat bodies in the Mormugao BDO are doing well in maintaining cleanliness and we appeal to people to cooperate with authorities to keep their villages clean,” he added.
