Only six of the 35 mining-affected panchayats have so far utilised the entire amount of ` 4.28 lakh received as one-time grant-in-aid from Directorate of Panchayats on December 9, 2015. On the other hand, three panchayats have submitted nil utilisation certificates.
PANAJI
While Fatorpa, Usgaon-Ganjem, Honda, Pissurlem, Mollem and Collem have used the entire amount of ` 4.28 lakhs sanctioned to each panchayat under the scheme, three panchayats including Sirsaim, Pirna and Tivim panchayats from Bardez block have yet to touch the grant amount.
So far, of the 35 panchayats, only 15 have sent utilisation certificates to the DoP, as required by regulations. Sources from the DoP informed that the UCs for this specific scheme were to be submitted by the end of March 2016 denoting the manner in which the funds were spent.
“We sent them all reminders on October 24, 2016 for the UCs. However, 20 have yet to send us the document which helps us keep a track of the finances disbursed under a particular scheme,” said the source.
As per the records available with the accounts section of DoP, Dabhal-Kirlapal Panchayat has utilised almost 90 per cent of the amount whereas the UC submitted by Sancordem Panchayat states that 25 per cent of the grants were used till November 2016.
Sanvordem and Kurdi panchayats have also utilised a large chunk of the grant amount. The amount pending utilisation at Sanvordem is ` 96,000 and at Kurdi Panchayat is ` 24,000.
An amount of ` 1.5 crore was approved for a scheme announced in the budget 2015-16 aimed at providing one-time grant-in-aid to 35 mining-affected villages from seven talukas of Bardez, Bicholim, Ponda, Sattari, Quepem, Dharbandora and Sanguem.
In 2015, each of these 35 mining affected villages had received ` 4.28 lakh which was to be utilised in undertaking any infrastructural development works in their jurisdiction.
