MARGAO
Even as the government is bracing up to hold a training program by GIPARD on People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) of Participatory Planning for GPDP for 2022-23 here on Wednesday, questions are raised whether the authorities will address the issues of the village panchayats unable to utilize the grants under the finance commissions.
A number of panchayats in Salcete taluka have been unable to utilize the grants under the 14th Finance Commission for several reasons due to the intervening pandemic, delay in preparing estimates for the works et al.
As of March 2021, funds amounting to lakhs of rupees under the 14th Finance Commission have been unutilized with the village panchayats. Some of the sarpanchas contacted by The Goan informed that the funds lie unutilized as of March 2021.
Assolna Sarpanch Xavier Almeida pointed out that though around Rs 11 lakh have been lying unutilized with the panchayat as of March 2021, the VP has almost utilized the funds in the last five months by taking up drains and road works.
Curtorim Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues said the panchayat has prepared a host of estimates to take up works under the 14th FC. ‘The panchayat will utilize the amount in the coming days since files have been moved for execution”, he added.
Another sarpanch informed that the intervening Covid situation had delayed the utilization of the funds.
