A Zilla Panchayat member making a point at the meeting of the South Goa ZP on Friday. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Members of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat on Friday called for a higher allocation of funds for Zilla Panchayats in the 2027-28 Budget to carry out development works in the 25 ZP constituencies.
Members also decided to urge the government to approve a proposal for cleaning and testing village wells to make the water fit for use, particularly in view of this year’s rainfall deficit.
At the Zilla Panchayat meeting chaired by Chairperson Sidharth Gauns Desai on Friday, members demanded an increase in development funds for the district-level bodies in the coming Budget.
Chairperson Desai pointed out that the Zilla Panchayat would seek a doubling of development grants to ZPs in the coming Budget.
Benaulim ZP member Luiza Rodrigues and others raised the issue of drinking water wells across villages. She said people had stopped consuming or using well water on the grounds that it was contaminated with pollutants. Against this backdrop, Rodrigues demanded that the ZP send a proposal to the government for cleaning and testing wells so that the water could be used for drinking and other purposes, particularly in view of the rainfall deficit.
Members also demanded action against contractors found defaulting on the execution of development works.
The issue of the Zilla Panchayat Bhavan was also discussed at the meeting, with members seeking to know the status of the proposal to construct a South Goa ZP Bhavan. Chairperson Desai later told the media that the proposal could not move forward due to the unavailability of land, admitting that no land had been identified for the project so far. He, however, added that the Zilla Panchayat had submitted a proposal to the government for extending its existing office in the old South Goa District Collectorate building.
Members also demanded an increase in the honorarium paid by the government to Zilla Panchayat members.
