Curtailed Curtorim gram sabha sees passing of budget

NT NETWORK

Margao

The gram sabha of Curtorim village panchayat was on Sunday adjourned soon after approval of the financial budget for the year 2021-22. The deferment was forced due to the imposition of Section 144 in South Goa district.

South Goa district collector Ruchika Katyal has imposed Section 144 with immediate effect banning upcoming festivals and gatherings at the public places as a preventive measure to contain the surge in COVID-19 infections.

Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues explained the members of the gram sabha that due to the imposition of Section 144, the elected representatives would not be able to hold the gram sabha. He however added that the panchayat will place the proposed budget for the year 2021-2022 before the gram sabha for approval since it has to be approved and forwarded to the director of Panchayats before March 31. 

The gram sabha members agreed and gave approval to the budget and later the meeting was adjourned. Local legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and ZP member Michelle Rebello were also present for the gram sabha.

“Our gram sabha was scheduled 15 days in advance. The villagers gathered for gram sabha as usual. However, the police phoned us and told us that we cannot hold the gram sabha since Section 144 is in force. We were confused since we had to somehow pass the budget. I called up the BDO and informed him the need of the gram sabha member approval for passing the budget. We then decided that to start the gram sabha, approve the budget and then defer it. We will take up all these proposals in the next gram sabha which will be held once Section 144 is withdrawn,’’ the sarpanch explained after the gram sabha.

Interestingly, approved budget is seemingly a repeat budget with slight changes. There are many budget heads showing the same figures like that of the last financial year, despite there is less than 50 per cent spending in that respective heads. For example, there is provision made of Rs 5 lakh for wages of sweepers like that of year 2020-2021, while the actual expenditure in 2020-21 is Rs 2. 57 lakh. Similarly, under the head of ‘opening of the drainages’ provision is made of Rs 3 lakh for 2021-2022 same like 2020-21 even though the actual amount spending in 2020-2021 is shown as Rs 1.03 lakh.

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