MAPUSA
With a two-fold increase in minimum grants for garbage collection allocated to panchayats in State, government is pulling out all stops to tackle garbage menace on a war-footing.
Decision has also been taken to give additional grants to panchayats along the coastal belt, sub-urban panchayats and those surrounding the airport for waste treatment.
The minimum grants for garbage collection has been hiked from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh now.
“We have divided the panchayats into four categories to provide additional grants for garbage collection. Sub-urban, coastal, those near the airport and weaker panchayats,” said Sandhya Kamat, Director of Panchayats.
Panchayats surrounding the airport will get Rs 7 lakh additional grants, while sub-urban and those along the coastal belt will get Rs 5 lakh each.
Weaker panchayats will get Rs 3 lakh as additional grants.
“To claim the additional grants the panchayats will have to apply to the Director of Panchayats through the Block Development Office,” Kamat said.
Panchayats have been asked to focus on door-to-door garbage collection, especially in areas where there are apartments and around the markets.
The government has already given a nod for imposition of garbage tax to mop up additional resources to tackle garbage in villages.
Giving stress on segregation of waste, panchayats have been asked to identify land for the purpose.
“Government has agreed to provide financial assistance for land to segregate waste. Three to four panchayats can form a cluster and segregate waste on the land,” a source informed. Government has also directed the panchayats to identify “black spots” where garbage has been openly dumped by people.
Panchayat secretaries have been asked to be strict and impose penalty on offenders who dump waste at such spots. Further every panch member has been asked to closely coordinate with the garbage management committee to tackle the garbage issue in their respective areas.
