The 15th Finance Commission headed by Chairman, Shri N.K. Singh alongwith its Members and senior officials met today with the representatives of the Rural Local Bodies of Goa.

The Commission was informed that:

• First State Finance Commission was constituted in 1999 and Government of Goa had accepted its recommendations in November, 2001.
• Second State Finance Commission submitted its report in December, 2007, but Government had not accepted the recommendations of the Second State Finance Commission.
• Third State Finance Commission was constituted in January, 2017 (10 years after submission of report of the Second Finance Commission) and has not submitted the report after completion of three years.

The main Recommendations of 14th Finance Commission were:

• Grants recommended by 14th Finance Commission to Rural Local Body ₹ 134 crore (₹ 120 crore Basic Grant and ₹ 14 crore Performance Grant).  Out of ₹ 120 crore (Basic Grant), Goa has received only ₹ 50 crore by the end of 31st March, 2019. (42% of the grant recommended by 14th Finance Commission).
• Out of ₹ 14 crore Performance Grant, Goa has received only ₹ 2.62 crore in 2016-17 (First year of performance Grant). (20% of the grant recommended by 14th Finance Commission).

The 15th Finance Commission desired to know the reason(s) for not accepting the recommendations of 2nd SFC.  It also sought information as to why submission of report of Third State Finance Commission was awaited even after three years of its constitution. In view of the fact that in 2016-17 & 2017-18, 191 Village Panchayats had generated ₹ 24 crore and ₹ 25 crore respectively as Tax Revenue, the Commission has asked for the status of Accounts of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Representatives of RLBs of Goa included -  Smt. Ankita Navelkar, North Goa ZP President,  Shri Navnath Naik, South Goa ZP President , Shri Mohan Verekar, ZP Member Ponda, Smt. Suvarna Tendulkar, ZP Member Sanvordem, Shri Rupesh Naik, ZP Member Saligao, Shri Arun Bankar, ZP Member Mandrem, Shri Pramod Faldassai, Canacona-AgondaSarpanch, Smt. Sneha Latha Naik, Sanvordem-Mollem Sarpanch, Smt. Prashila Gaude, Sankhili Papi Sarpanch, Shri Arjun Naik, Sanguem Village Panchayat Uguem and Shri Allului Afonso, Avede Cotmi, Quepem.

The Commission has noted all the issues raised by the representatives and has assured to address them in the recommendations to the Union Government.

Local Body Grants shortfalls and delayed State Finance Commission reports prompt commission to seek explanations and accounts. The Fifteenth Finance Commission met Rural Local Bodies of Goa to seek reasons for non-acceptance of the Second State Finance Commission, the delayed report of the Third State Finance Commission, and to review substantial shortfalls in receipt of Fourteenth Finance Commission Basic and Performance grants; it also requested the status of Panchayati Raj institutions' accounts and information on local tax mobilisation, and recorded that these issues will be addressed in its recommendations to the Union government.