Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday urged panchayats not to spend money to build gutters in villages. Instead, he urged panchayats to spend the grants given by the state to build wedding venues or banquet halls.“The rural development agency gives funds to many villages, sometimes even as much as Rs 30-50 lakh. But many panchayats use these funds to install paver blocks in the name of beautification. Nobody wants to use the money to build a project that generates revenue for the panchayat. Last time, we gave Rs 50 lakh to panchayats, and many of them decided to distribute the money among the wards. The panchs took Rs 5 lakh and built gutters in their wards,” Sawant said at the National Panchayati Raj Day programme.He said govt gives grants to village panchayats so they can build revenue-generating projects and become self-sufficient. He cited the example of the Taleigao panchayat, which built an AC banquet hall that is rented out for weddings and events for as much as Rs 3 lakh per day.“Don’t waste money by building gutters. Let the water percolate into the ground. Don’t put concrete there,” said Sawant. “We beautify a spot in the name of Ganesh visarjan (immersion). We put paver blocks. We use that place just once a year. We build large sheds there, and then we spend 30 minutes at the spot once a year.” Sawant asked the panchayats to promote green energy and solar energy with the help of the Goa Energy Development Agency.
