MARGAO
The four-day training session for the newly-elected Zilla Panchayat members began on Tuesday, but officials and staff of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat are anxiously waiting for the government to fill up the vacant posts and strengthen the manpower requirements.
Consider this. The post of Executive Engineer of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat has been lying vacant for the two months. If sources are to be believed, the Accounts Officer’s post will also be vacant in the next two months, with members in private saying the government should not delay in filling up the posts.
Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho has been on record saying that the Zilla Panchayats will receive double the development funds this term. Indeed, with the higher allocation of funds under the 15th Finance Commission, the Zilla Panchayats too are expected to receive additional funds to take up development works in the respective areas.
This may throw up the moot question of whether the existing technical staff of the South ZP, including the Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer, and the four engineers will meet the requirements considering the projective increase in the work load.
Officials in the know informed that increased fund allocation means increase in the work of preparing estimates of the works proposed by the elected members.
Take note, the South ZP has its jurisdiction, extending right up to Sancoale to Canacona, Rivona to Priol, which makes up the 25 constituencies, raising questions whether the four junior engineers will be adequate to prepare the estimates of the development works across South.
That’s not all. The ZP, which is required to provide logistic support to the District Planning Committee (DPC) to prepare the district draft development plan after consolidating the plans received from the panchayat and municipal bodies, had asked for manpower exclusively to man the DPC cell.
Incidentally, outgoing Panchayat Director, Narayan Gad, had turned down the plea, suggesting utilization of junior engineers for the work. A ZP official pointed out that the services of the junior engineers may not be available for the DPC work, which if not addressed immediately, may be a big obstacle for development.
“The Zilla Panchayat needs to have dedicated manpower to man the DPC cell. The government should understand that the formation of DPCs is not being monitored by the HC and attempt to derail the exercise because of manpower may invite contempt of court,” remarked a ZP official.
