PANAJI: Stating that Goem and Goemkarponn (Goa and Goan ethos) would be the focal point of all the future policies of the government, Governor Mridula Sinha on Thursday said the government will draw a comprehensive transport and mobility plan for the state.
Delivering her annual customary address before the state legislative assembly, the Governor said, “A multimode transport system will be developed with rapid transport facilities.”
The government will make utmost use of alternative transport like water transport, she said, adding that “and special transport facilities will be provided to the tourists, students and senior citizens.”
The 16 legislators of the Congress party, who had arrived in the House with piece of black cloth tied to their arm to protest against the act of the Governor of not inviting the single largest party to form the government after the results of the recently concluded state assembly election, walked out of the House just as the Governor started her speech.
Opposition leader, Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, addressing the Speaker Pramod Sawant said that, “The Governor is responsible for murder of democracy by not giving chance to the single largest party to form the government.”
The Governor in her half-hour-long address said the government is aware of certain difficulties faced by the tenants due to recent amendments to the Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural tenancy Act, 1964.
“The government is committed to protect the interest of tenants and will immediately amend the Tenancy Act suitably to ensure that all tenancy rights are legally protected,” she added.
The Governor stated that poor sanitation further weakens the economic wherewithal of a poor household.
“Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aims to ensure health and sanitation, particularly for the poor,” she maintained, pointing out that the government is committed for eliminating open defecation in Goa by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, which is one of the key aims of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan movement launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi two years ago.
Maintaining that housing for all shall be mantra of the government, the Governor said that house is a dream of every individual and it is shameful for any society that its people are still deprived of this basic necessity of human kind. “The government will formulate a policy and draw a plan to implement this policy to provide shelter for everyone in the state,” she noted.
The Governor also mentioned that the government will focus on skill development while imparting demand base training with academia-industry correlation, with an aim that every educated youth in the state would not only get employment but good quality employment.
“The vision of the government is to ensure steady flow of skilled workforce to different sectors of industry by imparting skill training as well as entrepreneurship skills to youth in the state through skill development and entrepreneurship programme,” she reiterated, while assuring that the government, in order to create more and more job opportunities for Goan youth, will bring new environment-friendly industries, as also expand and upgrade existing public sector units in the state.
The Governor also informed about the government’s proposal to improve the power transmission and water supply in the state, ensuring 24×7 quality power and water supply to the people.
In conclusion, maintaining that the aim of the state government is “Maximum governance with minimum government”, the Governor stated that although the government is a coalition government with various parties and Independent members, it is a coalition of those people who believe that “development is unity and struggle of two opposites”, and has come together only in the interest of the state, for its overall development.