The figures showing the grants received by the South Goa Zilla Panchayat body during the last five years.
MARGAO
The devolution of powers and functions to the district Panchayat bodies, as mandated under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, has been a long-standing demand of Zilla Panchayat members in Goa since the establishment of these bodies in 2000.
As the curtain falls on the current five-year term of the Zilla Panchayats, it has become evident that these institutions have yet to receive the powers and functions envisioned by the Constitution.
However, whether by design or as a measure to keep Zilla Panchayat members in good humour, these district panchayat bodies have continued to receive substantial funds from both the State and Central governments over the past five years.
Notably, the South Goa Zilla Panchayat alone received an impressive Rs 84.35 crore ” precisely Rs 84,35,81,305 ” during the current term. Take note, the grant of Rs 84.35 crore was purely sent for development as the ZP had received separate administrative grant, running into crores of rupees.
And, if the incumbent Chief Executive Officer of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat, Florina Colaco is to be believed, the South ZP has exhausted all the funds sent by the state government as well as by the Centre under the Finance Commission recommendations.
A glance at the figures compiled by the South Goa ZP office showed that the ZP received a total grant of Rs 59.25 crore from the Goa government under the Rural Infrastructure Development (RID) during the last five years. The CEO pointed out that the total RID grant has been exhausted by the members with development projects across the 25 ZP constituencies.
The South Goa ZP follows a norm wherein the development under the RID head is distributed equally amongst the 25 ZP members to take up development works in their respective constituencies.
Besides the RID grant, the South ZP also received total grant of Rs 7.76 crore and Rs 2.19 crore from the state government under the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes head. CEO Florina Colaco informed The Goan that the funds received under the ST head was distributed equally amongst the ZP members, barring the two constituencies of Benaulim and Colva for want of ST communities in their jurisdiction.
The South Goa ZP also received funds from the centre under The Tied and Untied heads amounting to Rs 8.53 crore and Rs 6.61 crore respectively.
South ZP Chaiperson Anita Thorat said that though the government has sanctioned development grants to the Zilla Panchayat, the district Panchayat body is yet to receive the powers and functions envisaged under the Constitution. “The ZP members could take up development works in their respective constituencies with the grant sanctioned by the government. But, the powers and functions were not devolved till date. We hope that the government will devolve the powers to the Zilla Panchayats in the future”, Thorat said.
