MATCHING GRANTS TO PANCHAYATS:

The Matching Grants are released to the village Panchayats depending upon their tax collection. This is an unconditional grant which can be utilized for any purpose by the panchayat.The grants are released as per the following pattern of assistances:-

If any panchayat registers a fall in the income during the year as compared to the income of the previous year, the Government reserves the right to release matching grants to such panchayats at 50% of the admissible amount.

GRANT-IN-AID:

Government sanctions grant-in-aid for financially weaker panchayats for undertaking the developmental works. These grants mainly under the heading roads and communication and Health and Sanitation. The Pattern of assistance is as follows:

GRANTS TO WEAKER SECTION FOR STRENGTHENING THEIR ADMINISTRATION:

From the year 2001-02 the Government has introduced a scheme of giving special grants to weaker Panchayats whose annual income is less than Rs.10.00lakhs in order to provide them with sufficient funds to make payment of salaries to their staff like L.D.C-cum-typist and Peon-cum-Messenger as per the followings pattern of assistances:-

The panchayats are authorized to appoint full time L.D.C.-cum-Typist and Peon-cum-Messenger as permanents staff of the panchayat.

Grants In Lieu of Octroi:

From the year 2001-02, the State Govt. has abolished Octroi on petroleum goods which was being collected by the municipal councils and the village panchayats and in the place of octroi, the Govt. has levied sales tax on petroleum products. Every financial year, the Govt. releases special grants in three installments to the Respective village panchayats on the amount collected in lieu of octroi.

Grants to All Panchayat Parishad and Mahila Mandals:

Goa Panchayat Parishad established in the year 1983 with its office at 115, Ramchandra building, Mapusa.The Directorate releases an amount of Rs.10000/-to the Parishad every year to undertake various activities. There are Mahila Mandals in the villages Organized and register under the Societies Act. Of 1860. The Directorate sanctions unconditional grants to Mahila Mandals in order to take up Social activities and to create Awareness among the Rural Woman’s for Participation in Panchayat Raj. After registration of the new Mahila Mandals,it is eligible for a grant of Rs.1000/- for the first year and there after an amount of Rs.500/- is released to each Mahila Mandals every year as annual grant.

The All India Panchayat Parishad and the Mahila Mandals are required to submit Utilization Certificate of Grants sanctioned to them every year.

SCHEME FOR GRANT OF LOAN TO WEAKER SECTION FOR CONSTRUCTION/IMPROMENT/REPAIR OF HOUSES:

The above scheme is operated by the Directorate of Panchayat through the Block Development Officers.

Eligibility:- Any person who is born and residing in Goa whose annual income from all the sources does not exceed Rs.25000 per annum and who does not own a house either in his own name or in the name of any of his family members shall be eligible to avail of the benefits of this scheme for construction of new house or for repairs or improvement of the existing house.

Amount of Loans: – The maximum amount of loans which can be sanctioned under this scheme is Rs.20000/- which is relasesed in three installments. The first installment of Rs.5000/- is released at the time of Sanction of loan. The Second installment of Rs.1000/- if released on the recommendations of the Respective Block Development Officer after verified that the construction has reached up to the Plinth level. The third and the last installment of Rs.5000/- is released on a furnishing a certificate by the Block Development Officer that the Construction has reached up to the Roof level. The loan carries interest at such rates as may be fixed by the Govt. from the time to time.

Recovery:-The principal amount of loan along with interest is recoverable in 20 equal annual installments, the first installment being payable on the expiry of 18 months from the date of its disbursement. The application for loan along with the required documents shall be submitted to the Block Development Officer who shall forward it with his recommendations to the Director of Panchayats within a week from its receipt. The application for loan shall be accompanied with the following documents:-Title Documents
(a) Permission from the Panchayats
(b) Site Plan
(c) Model of the House
(d) Photograph of the Applicant
(e) Income Certificate
(f) Residential Certificate
(h) Certificate from the Mamlatdar to the effect that the applicant and his father or mother were born in Goa.
The total estimated costs of the construction or improvement or repairs of the house should not exceed Rs.25,000/-.The construction, improvement or repairs should becompleted within a period of one year from the date of disbursement of the first installments. The land and the house are required to be mortgaged in favour of the Government.
No loan under this scheme can be granted to a person who has already obtained or applied for loan for the same purpose under any other scheme of the Government, housing society, Corporation or Bank. The Director of Panchayats is the sanctioning authority under this scheme.

LOANS TO VILLAGE PANCHAYATS UNDER REMUNERATIVE SCHEMES:

Under the schemes the village Panchayat may apply to the Govt. for grant of loan for starting, in there area anyone or more of such remunerative schemes given below. (a) Coconut and Cashew Nurseries
(b) Laying out of Orchards
(c) Laying out of Vegetables Farms
(d) Reclamation of Waste Land
(e) Installation of Pumping Sets
(f) Purchase of Tractors and Improved Agricultural Implements hire.
(g) Poultry Farms
(h) Piggery Farms
(i) Dairies
(j) Construction of Guest Houses, Shops, markets and Godowns.
(k) Working of Stone Quarries
(l) Small and Cottage Industries
(m) Miscellaneous schemes based on particular potentialities of the area.
(n) Any Other Scheme Approved by the Government.

RURAL GARBAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME 2005:

Under the Rural Garbage Disposal scheme the State Government provides funds to the Village Panchayats for acquisition of land for garbage sites and for development of the garbage collection site and other facilities required for disposal of Garbage. Under the scheme the village Panchayats are required to segregate the garbage at source into bio – degradable and non-biodegradable waste. The bio-degradable waste is to be vermin – composted through the process of vermiculture for which the Panchayats are required to construct composting pits. The cost of collection, transportation, segregation, storage processing and disposal of Garbage is also borne by the Government to the extent of 98% and the balance 2% is to be borne by the Village Panchayat, for the first 3 years. On the expiry of this period, the entire cost is to be borne by the Village Panchayats. Detailed guidelines have been annexed to the scheme so as to assist the Panchayats in disposal of the garbage in a hygienic and scientific manner.

ASSISTANCE TO THE PANCHAYATS FOR DISPOSAL OF PLASTIC GARBAGE:

Under the Goa Panchayat (Grant of Financial Assistance to the Village Panchayats to deal with Plastic Garbage Menace) Scheme, 2007, financial assistance is given to the Village Panchayat which are affected by plastic garbage menace. The village Panchayats can hire labourers @ a maximum of Rs.150/- per labourer, for collection of the plastic garbage from the household on door – to – door basis or organize regular plastic collection drives in their areas. Every such Village Panchayat which is affected by plastic garbage menace is entitled for Rs.25,000/- per annum for collection and disposal of the plastic waste. In case a Compactor is provided to the Village Panchayat than such Panchayat is entitled to Rs. 50,000/- per annum which is also to be utilized for the purpose of fuel for the Compactor.

HOUSING SCHEME: RAJIV AWAAS YOJANA 2008:

Under Rajiv Awaas Yojana Scheme any person who is born and residing in the State of Goa sice last 15 years and whose father and mother is born in Goa and where the total income including that of his family from all sources does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh and who does not own any house or owns a house either in his/her own name or in the name of any of the family meembers, which requires repairs, shall be eligible to avail the benifits of this scheme. The Director of Panchayats is the sanctioning authorithy for the rural areas and The Director of Social Welfare is the sanctioning authorithy for urban areas. Under this scheme an amount of Rs.25,000/- shall be sanctioned for the purpose construction of new house and 12,500/- for the purpose of repairing an existing house. The eligible applicants who require assistance under this scheme are required to submit the application in the prescribed form to the respective Block Developmen Officer with all the required documents.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MINING AFFECTED VILLAGE PANCHAYAT:

The Govt. of Goa has decided to provide financial assistance to mining affected Village Panchayats by granting them one time Grants-in-aid so as to empower the local bodies to tide over the financial crisis due to halting of mining. The grants sanctioned as one time financial assistance under this scheme to any one mining affected village Panchayat shall be a fixed amount of Rs. 5 lakhs. The Village Panchayat to whom grants are sanctioned shall utilize the same within 1 year from the date of drawal of grants. The scheme is in the formulation stage and has been send to the Govt, for necessary action. The scheme shall remain in force till 31/3/2015. Overall 93 Village Panchayats of Sanguem, Dharbandora, Quepem, Bicholim and Ponda Taluka will be covered under this Scheme.

DEENDAYAL PANCHAYATI RAJ INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT SCHEME 2013:

Under this scheme the Govt. takes up the infrastructure project in every Panchayat amounting to 1 Crore. The Panchayat has to decide the project to be undertaken and will be executed through GSIDC, GTDC or such other agency. Funds will be allotted to the agency in 3 installments within 30 days after receiving the detail proposal.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT SCHEME AT PANCHAYAT LEVEL:

The Govt. has decided to make a token provision of Rs.10.00 lakhs to attend calamities during the monsoon period from June to Sept.2014. The scheme is in the formulation stage

Panchayath Loan services by B katha Loans