PONDA
Second-time Sarpanch of Curti-Khandepar Rukma Khandeparkar, who has completed one year in office, intends to bring about transparency in the panchayat affairs. The panchayat recently launched its online payment service to make this assertion of the sarpanch a reality. In an interview with The Goan, Khandeparkar revealed plans to make Curti-Khandepar into a model village
TG: The panchayat recently launched an online payment service. What are your plans to popularise the new system and do you think people will support it?
RK: Definitely, this will help the public at large. Some people don’t visit the panchayat office assuming they will have to wait in long queues to pay their taxes. This online system will help them. They can now pay their taxes from wherever they are. We have tied up with HDFC bank to help us logistically and I’m sure that people will use this service to pay their taxes. Even those who come to the office will have the option to make payments through their cards on our swiping machine.
TG: What are the areas of your focus to make Curti-Khandepar a model village?
RK: First of all, we need to help our villagers to develop their skills. To further this, with the help of ‘Comtech’ computer institute we are providing courses like 2D animation, basics in computer and graphic designing. Other computer-related programmes are also under consideration.
Not only this, we are also supporting our farmers by providing them with saplings, fertilisers and other required things. Besides, to make Curti-Khandepar a model village, we have implemented schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, be it Digital India, Skill India or Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
TG: How far you have succeeded in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
RK: See, it’s a continuous process. We have engaged labourers for day-to-day collection and disposal of garbage. Even Ponda Municipal Council is helping us in this task. We collect wet and dry garbage. Wards near Ponda city are regularly monitored and wet garbage is collected from households.
TG: Any plans to focus on revenue generation?
RK: Yes. Since we don’t have an industrial estate in our jurisdiction, we are fully dependent on house and trade taxes. We are on the job of collecting the taxes and in this regard, the online payment system will help us clear pending dues.
TG: Have you received support from other panchas and staff?
RK: Yes, my panch members, secretary Sudhant Naik and staff have helped in development works. During the last one year, more than 23 works have been completed and we are now planning more works. We could not undertake electrical works due to some issues. But we hope to resolve it and those works will also be carried out.
