MARGAO
Even as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant laid stress on drinking water, sanitation and housing during his online interaction with the panchayats to make Swayampurna Goa on Saturday, the Betalbatim VP said it has adopted several steps to take various schemes and projects to the doorsteps of the villagers.
After the interaction with the Chief Minister on Saturday morning, Betalbatim Sarpanch Constancio Miranda and village Swayampurna Mitr Arun Panchwadkar said the Betalbatim village is perhaps the first village to identify an orphaned child and make him eligible for assistance under the government scheme.
In fact, the Sarpanch said that Swayampurna Goa exercise if implemented thoroughly will definitely help the villagers. “After the exercise was rolled out by the government, the panchayat had identified around 45 persons with disabilities of which 13 have already received the equipment, including wheelchairs, walking sticks, glasses, hearing aids, etc,” Miranda said.
The Sarpanch further pointed out that 80 per cent of the Betalbatim farmers are now armed with the Krishi cards which will help them to avail schemes. “Because of the Krishi cards, we have been able to bring more land under cultivation in the village,” he said, adding that the panchayat has also got the local fishermen to obtain the cards to avail the benefits.
He said the three-day programme to make new Aadhar cards and to rectify mistakes in the existing ones drew huge response from the village, saying the officials had been working in this respect till late in the night.
Saying that some of the villagers have applied for EDC loans, the Sarpanch pointed out that ITI instructors held special career guidance sessions in the village school for the IX & X Std students.
Swayampurna Mitr for Betalbatim village Panchwadkar said the support extended by the Sarpanch and his members, besides the panchayat secretary, has helped to take the mission forward.
