VASCO
Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho on Sunday said that the low turnout of voters for the ZP polls conducted in the state on Saturday was due to lack of enthusiasm for the elections. Godinho further stated that he was confident that BJP who will form the final panel of ZP candidates in both districts, if required, with the help of independent candidates.
Godinho was speaking to reporters alongside a function to celebrate the birth anniversary of the former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar in the presence of Sancoale ZP Member Anita Thorat and other party workers at his Dabolim constituency office.
"I want to say that the ZP members definitely deserve more powers and we had already assured the last body of ZP members of more powers and that the government is already examining options to give more powers them. As of now, they are getting the maximum funds in the history of the ZP bodies after my presentation with the chairman of the planning commission. The ZP bodies are getting 15 per cent of the funds given to the commission and this time the commission has got Rs 75 crore of which around Rs 18 crore will be allotted only to ZP bodies directly, and this is their fund and the government can't do anything about it. They only have to submit proposals for spending the money and this is over and above from what they will get from the local government," said Godinho.
"As far as the low turnout is concerned, elections are elections, but there is never much enthusiasm for ZP and parliamentary elections compared to the energy for the assembly polls. I can say that BJP will get a large number of seats in North and South Goa, at the most, we may have to take the help of independent candidates but even then we will be forming the ruling panel in South Goa and overall it will be a good picture for the BJP," said Godinho.
