PANAJI : Refuting that the directorate of panchayats has failed to use the money from the Centre towards e-governance of the village panchayats in Goa, Minister for Panchayati Raj, Rajendra Arlekar said the directorate would soon begin such an exercise in the 190 village panchayats around the state following awarding of the related tender to the selected agency.
Coming out with this information, Arlekar said the initiative has been taken under the state government funds.
“The state government has earmarked a fund of Rs 3.5 crore for the purpose for the financial year 2016-17,” he added.
Arlekar told ‘The Navhind Times’ that the e-tendering exercise for the project began in May 2016, through the department of information technology.
“However, following over-quoting by the responders to this tender, we had to go for re-tendering,” he maintained, adding that the related technical bid would soon follow.
The Minister for Panchayati Raj further said the directorate of panchayats has also sought central funds related to e-governance in village panchayats, from the Union ministry of communication and information technology. “In fact, we have received separate finds for the purpose under this national scheme as basic grants and progressive grants, as also have disbursed them to the local panchayats,” he noted, adding that the utilisation certificate towards these grants, which had not been forwarded to the Centre, has now been sent.
Arlekar also said the state government has sought more such funds from the central government.
“However, these funds have no link to the state funds towards e-governance of village panchayats,” he concluded.