MARGAO
Around 3, 400-odd development proposals worth a whopping Rs 148 crore. That’s the sheer number of projects and the estimated cost of the works contained in the first-ever District Development Plan prepared by the South Goa District Planning Committee (DPC) on January 11 last.
Five months after the South DPC had given its nod for the District Development Plan, the government has given its approval for the Plan. The million dollar question, however, remains unanswered “ how and who will fund the development proposals contained in the Plan in the absence of dedicated funding by the government?
Indeed, while South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar was quick to welcome the government’s nod for the district development plan by the South DPC, questions remain unanswered over the fate of the plan over its funding.
This question assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of bare fact that the estimated cost of the development proposals is pegged at a whopping Rs 148 crore, while the annual development funds received by the South Goa Zilla panchayat is around Rs 10 crore.
When this question was posed to South Goa ZP Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar, she said the question of funding will be discussed with Panchayat Director Siddi Halarnkar and Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho. “We welcome the government’s decision to grant approval for the District Development plan. For, this is the first time ever that the South Goa DPC had prepared the District Development Plan. We are happy that the plan has received government approval”, Tendulkar said.
On the funding aspect, however, Tendulkar, has hastened to add that a delegation of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat will call on the Panchayat Director Siddi Halarnkar and Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho to discuss the issue. “After discussions, we will call on the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss the sanction of funds to implement the developmental plan”, she added.
When The Goan called up the Panchayat Director Siddi Harlankar to shed light on the South district Development plan, she was quick to point out that the plan has received nod from the government.
Deputy Panchayat Director K Pangam later informed that while the government has accorded approval for the South District Development plan, the file will now be moved to the Finance department on funding of the developmental proposals.
Sources in the know informed that the government’s approval for the South Goa district Development Plan will have no meaning unless the approval is backed by release of funds for its implementation. “What purpose would the government approval serve if there is no release of funds to implement the plan”, remarked an official in the know. “The entire painstaking exercise and hard work put in by the South Goa District Planning Committee (DPC) will end in futility if the government does not release the grants for the implementation of the proposals”, the official added.
Take note, the developmental proposals sanctioned by the South Goa DPC and now approved by the government is pegged at Rs 148 crore. “The South DPC has prepared the District Development Plan for the financial year 2024-25. The DPC will soon kick start the process to prepare the District Development Plan for the financial 2025-26. If the government does not sanction funds to implement the 2024-25 plan, local bodies may not cooperate in the formulation of the plan for the next financial year”, another official added.
