Tax deficit makes Goltim Navelim p’yat financially weak
Panchayat has no illegal construction cases
BY A GT Reporter
PANJIM: The Goltim Navelim panchayat has failed to implement the Goa Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the year 2007-08, according to the audit report of panchayat for the same year.
Consequently, the panchayat did not receive any grants from the government under the scheme.
But if one believes the Sarpanch, then the village panchayat of Goltim Navelim has the distinction of being free of illegal constructions, a rare feat.
According to an undertaking given by the sarpanch to auditors the panchayat did not detect any illegal construction in the year 2007-08 and does not have any backlog from previous years. This statement is reflected in the audit report for the year 2007-08.
Despite being financially weak, the panchayat managed to close the year with a surplus of Rs 5.78 lakh. This figure has little to do with the ability of the panchayat to garner taxes and was a result of a large amount of money made available by the government through grants.
The Goltim Navelim panchayat received a total of Rs 3.21 lakh as grants towards staff salary, panchas’ salary and matching grants. Further, an additional Rs 2.4 lakh came in the form of development grants and another Rs 25,000 as grants from LIC, according to the audit report for the financial year 2007-08.
The record of the panchayat on tax collection, although better than other panchayats in the taluka, is far from satisfactory. Of a total of Rs 2.05 lakh that was due in taxes, only Rs 82,418 was recovered.
The panchayat issued seven construction licences earning Rs 1.03 lakh as fees.
On the expenditure side the panchayat spent Rs 2.91 lakh on administration and Rs 5.35 lakh on public works. An additional expenditure of Rs 4.39 lakh was incurred on constructions of drains and retaining walls which was borne by the government through grant-in-aid.
The panchayat was not able to undertake substantial work on maintenance of street lights, incurring an expenditure of only Rs 4,987 on purchase of electrical goods.
During the financial year 2007-08 Adelina Menezes served as administrator for a month while Manuel Azavedo served as Sarpanch. In contrast, the panchayat had six secretaries during the same period.
