Panaji, Oct 30 (IANS): The Goa government's 191 gazetted officers will fan out to all panchayats across the state on Saturday under its ambitious month-long 'Swayampurna Mitra' initiative that aims to promote human development and make villages self- reliant.
"The 191 officers will visit all panchayats for three hours every Saturday. One of their main agenda will be to ensure that government schemes are properly implemented in these villages right down to the last person and suggest ways to make villages self- reliant," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.
These officers will audit actual ground-level implementation of state schemes, prepare a comprehensive document on village resources, and put forth suggestions towards making villages self-reliant, in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and Goa government's call for 'Swayampurna Goa'.
"The officials will not just meet panchayat members and sarpanches, but also focus on human development," Sawant said.
Earlier this week, Sawant chaired a workshop of all officers designated as 'Swayampurna Mitras' and listed their key goals, including one to ensure there was no poverty- or hunger-stricken person in the state.
"If we are to eradicate poverty, each household has to get between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 income every month," the Chief Minister said, urging the officers to reach out to village residents below the poverty line.
The groundwork for the 'Swayampurna Mitras' initiative was earlier laid by officials of the Education Department and Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development, which has enumerated details of projects and schemes getting implemented in village panchayats.
Sawant said another key area of focus was children and persons with special needs.
"In the next one month, there should be no disabled person in Goa who has not availed of a government scheme's benefits. Panchayats have been asked to inform the 'Swayampurna Mitras' of specially abled persons in their respective jurisdictions and identify their needs. Our government works on Antyodaya principle, irrespective of caste, religion and creed," the Chief Minister said.