PANAJI
In a significant initiative, the Dr Pramod Sawant-led government on Friday notified an MLA-LAD (MLA-Local Area Development) scheme by virtue of which a fund of Rs 2.5 crore will be allocated annually to take up 'developmental works' prioritised by the respective legislator in each of Goa's 40 assembly segments.
The Public Works Department (PWD) will be the nodal department to execute the scheme.
The legislators can use the funds to take up public work and projects in their respective constituency as deemed necessary by them, according to the notification.
The ceiling for total expenditure annually with be Rs 2.5 crore in each constituency. Also work which under existing norms cannot be undertaken through revenue and capital heads of accounts will be permitted to be taken up under the scheme, states the notification.
The projects and work taken up, however, needs to be inherently beneficial to the general public and local communities. Also work will be taken up as per the priority set by the local MLA.
Such a scheme on the lines of the Centre's Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MP-LAD) had been promised by Sawant on the floor of the House in response to criticism from Opposition legislators that the constituencies they represent were being discriminated against.
