Rs 229.42 crore development plan submitted in February faces bureaucratic hurdles
File photo of the South Goa District Planning Committee meeting held on January 11, 2024 approving the District Development Plan for South Goa.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
Six months into the current financial year, grass-root panchayat raj institution may be anxious to know whether the proposals mooted in the South Goa District Development Plan compiled by the District Planning Committee (DPC) have been factored by the government in the budget estimates for the financial year 2024-25.
And, whether the request made by the South Goa Zilla Panchayat to the Panchayat Director to allocate the required funds to finance the development works pegged at a whopping Rs 229.42 crore has found favour with the government.
Well, consider this for an answer. On January 11, the South Goa District Planning Committee (DPC) approved and consolidated the development works into the district development plan pegged at Rs 229.42 crore. The plan was later submitted to the government on February 5, for approval.
Hopes were raised amongst the DPC members, including the Zilla Panchayat members, that the South District Development Plan for the year 2024-25 had received the government nod on April 16. Higher Panchayat officials even pointed out that the plan had gone to the Finance Department for fund allocation.
Inquiries by The Goan have now revealed that the South District Development Plan has not made much headway. In fact, higher government officials have made a host of observations on the plan and the request to allocate the required funds to the South Goa Zilla Panchayat.
According to a letter written by Panchayat Director Siddhi Halarnakar to outgoing South Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Florina Colaco, “higher authority” had made a host of observations, saying the proposal is not clear with no background; further seeking to know the provision of allocations district-wise in last five years; the breakup of Rs 313.32 crores allotted to Directorate of Panchayats for 2024-25.
What has stunned members of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat is the query seeking to know whether there’s any proposal of North Goa District Planning Committee on similar lines.
Then South Goa ZP CEO Colaco was told to comply with these observations on South Goa Zilla Panchayat and furnish the details to process the matter with the government for further necessary action. Colaco has clarified about the queries, but inquiries revealed that the office of the Panchayat Director has routed the replies to the “higher authority”.
Background of the plan
In reply to the query on the background sought by the “higher authority” on the District Development Plan, then CEO, South Zilla Panchayat, pointed out that as per Article 243 20 of the Constitution of India, every district is required to prepare a comprehensive District Development Plan.
She stated that the High Court in Writ Petition No. 6 of 2018 in the case of The United Goan Foundation vs The State of Goa had directed to prepare the District Development plan, which ought to be a comprehensive and holistic plan by taking into consideration various departments on board. “The District Development Plan has to be prepared by taking into consideration the short term and the long term implementation of policies and development which ought to encompass the social, economic and ecological balance primarily focusing on ways and means for uplifting of the society and also by ensuring the protection of the environment and climate change.
Against this backdrop, the then CEO stated, "The District Development Plan has been prepared by bringing on board all the developments so that we do not work solo. The implementing agency would be the respective department but the funds would be routed through the Zilla Panchayat as postulated in the 77/78th Amendment to the Constitution of India whereby devolution of powers at the grassroots level has been envisioned."
What Panchayat Raj Act mandates
The then ZP CEO further noted that Section 238 (2) of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 states every Zilla Panchayat shall prepare every year, a development plan of the district after including the development plans of Panchayats and submit it to the District Planning Committee constituted under Section 239. Section 239 of Goa Panchayat Raj Act 1994 states that Government shall constitute in every district, a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the Zilla Panchayat, Panchayats, and Municipal Councils in the district as a whole and prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole after taking into consideration, matters of common interest between the Zilla Panchayats, Panchayats and Municipal Councils in the district including special planning, sharing of water and other physical and natural resources, the integrated development of infrastructures and environmental conservation;
The extent and type of availability resources whether financial or otherwise: Consult such institutions and organisations as the Government may, by order, specify and hereafter: The Chairperson of every District Planning Committee shall forward the development plan, as recommended by such Committee to the Government.
Allocation of funds
As far as the query on the allocation of funds to finance the works mooted by the District Development Plan, Colaco had pointed out that the funds which are otherwise supposed to be allocated to the respective departments are now required to be rechanneled through the Chief Executive Officer of South Goa, SP so that there is no duplication of works but through a centralized system.
Since there were no District Development Plans as of now, she stated that the funds were allocated to the South Goa Zilla Panchayat.
As far as the query whether the North Goa DPC has prepared a similar District Development Plan, Colaco pointed out that the South Goa Zilla Panchayat will not be able to know the proposal of the North Goa District Planning Committee. It would be but appropriate to seek the proposal from the North Goa District Development Committee, she stated in her letter.
