PANAJI: Expressing serious concern over the lack of waste management by coastal village panchayats, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that panchayat functioning for waste disposal and treatment would be monitored.
After chairing a meeting of all coastal panchayat, Sawant told media persons that 70% of these panchayats have failed to effectively handle waste.
Sawant emphasised the need for a structured approach to improve waste management, suggesting that panchayats must mandate the appointment of contractors to streamline processes.
“Each panchayat should have a designated shed, and the contractor, to be appointed should be empanelled with the Solid Waste Management department,” he said.
Sawant said that the collection of house tax and garbage tax would be mandatory while a separate garbage tax would be imposed on rented tenants.
The Chief Minister also directed panchayat Secretaries and sarpanch to make necessary utilization of 15th Finance Commission grants and the funds available for Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin. “Panchayats have been given a timeline to complete the work within two months,” Sawant added.
To improve waste segregation efforts, Sawant announced plans for another meeting with concerned departments, contractors, and stakeholders to discuss effective waste segregation strategies.