VASCO
Panchayats Minister Mauvin Godinho on Monday publicly appealed the people to pay their dues to the panchayat, failing which the panchayat would not be able to function smoothly.
"I have told my newly elected panch members that it is the time to act and I want to publicly say that people don't want to pay even basic taxes and want all their services and the panchayat members will not issue certificate in case taxes or dues are not paid. Panchayats and local bodies cannot survive if people fail to pay their dues, taxes or rent.”
Godinho said he will make it mandatory all over Goa that panchayats must recover long-pending dues and outstandings on top priority, adding that the government cannot give them additional funds without panchayats collecting their own dues.
"There is a shack operator who has written to Bogmalo panchayat that he does not want to pay his dues and has questioned the panchayat on how they are collecting dues from the shack operator.”
“I want to warn him publicly that I will initiate action against him if he does not clear his dues and expect that everything will be free from panchayat side. I want to tell people to fall in line and pay your dues to the panchayat and not indulge in such tactics and misguide others,” said Godinho.
