MARGAO
Panchayat Director Siddhi Halarnakar’s order releasing grants-in-aid amounting to Rs 28.86 lakh towards the payment of salaries and allowances to the Sarpanchas, deputy Sarpanchas, and elected members of the village panchayats of Salcete taluka does not appear to have been well-received by the elected representatives at the grassroots level.
Camurlim Sarpanch Basil Fernandes termed the hike in the salaries and allowances of the Sarpanchas, deputy Sarpanchas, and elected members as peanuts. His Rachol counterpart, Joseph Vaz, said the government had promised to implement a hike of Rs 2,000 for the elected members, but this has not materialised.
Chinchinim Panchayat member Gerson Gomes said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had announced a hike of Rs 2,000 for the panchayat members but added that the Panchayat members might not benefit in any way.
Both Basil Fernandes and Joseph Vaz said the Panchayat’s elected representatives have been demanding a substantial hike in the salaries and allowances of the Sarpanchas, deputy Sarpanchas, and elected representatives, but to no avail.
“Given the workload, the salary and allowances of a Sarpanch ought to have been a minimum of Rs 20,000 per month. The government has increased the salary of the Sarpanch by Rs 2,000. This is peanuts, and the hike has been implemented without considering the ground realities,” Basil said.
Rachol Sarpanch Joseph Vaz, on the other hand, said that effecting a hike of Rs 2,000 for a Sarpanch and just Rs 1,000 for an elected member will not help the elected representatives in any way.
“We have been demanding a significant hike in the salary and allowances of the Sarpanchas, deputy Sarpanchas, and the elected members. We were hoping that the government would implement a hike of Rs 2,000 for the members. In reality, the government has hiked the salary and allowances of the Sarpanchas by Rs 2,000,” he said.
Both Basil, Joseph, and Gerson said the elected Panchayat members from Salcete taluka would soon meet to take stock of the situation before a delegation calls on Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho to reconsider the hike.
