100% literacy & power: CM's Lib Day vow
PTI, PANAJI | 19 December 2010 19:02 IST
Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat today resolved to have hundred percent electricity percolation and literacy in the state by the end of 2011.
“We resolve that all the households in the state will have electricity by next year end. Currently, we have more than 90 per cent houses which have the power connections,” Kamat said addressing the state on the occasion of 49th Liberation day today.
Addressing the gathering after the parade, the chief minister said that wherever there are issues to get electricity in the conventional form, the state will provide non-conventional electricity like solar power.
The chief minister also said that state will attain 100 per cent literacy rate by the end of coming year through specially designed scheme.
Goa, which was a Portuguese colony for 450 years, was liberated from the Portuguese rule on December 19, 1961.
Kamat also announced scheme providing shelter for the homeless children. He said that the scheme would provide for the homeless children, who are mostly orphan and in the dire state.
The chief minister said that state will initiate a process to have a convention centre, which will give platform to the performing artists in the state.
He also announced special package of Rs one crore for Police Welfare Society and Rs 10 lakh each for Home Guards and Fire and Emergency Services department.
Admitting that the dust pollution due to mining activity is bothering the locals, Kamat said that mining corridors would be constructed which will shift the ore laden trucks from the main roads.
The chief minister appealed the people to support government in their project to expand existing National Highway. He said that the highway expansion would be executed without affecting the common people.
“Even if we have to acquire land or houses for the expansion, we will be paying them as per the market price,” he said adding that state government is working out land acquisition policy inspired from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh models.
It is good to see the CM making promises to make the life of the common man more comfortable. One very good thing about the CM is that he is easily approachable to the common man and listens to his problems!
The Electrical overhead lines need to be laid underground in a phased manner to make the power supply more reliable. In a village like Loliem, the power trips very frequently and many times in a day. This happens mainly as the high tension and low tension cables are not insulated and not underground and every falling coconut leaf or even strong wind trips the supply! Moreover in many places the high tension line is positioned just above the low tension line on the RCC poles and are running by the side of the public roads- and this is very risky as it could cause fatal accidents as well as result in the burning of appliances in case of snapping of the cables and touching each other!
In a planned manner all the power lines could be laid underground to make the supply more reliable and preventing accidents and destruction of trees- especially in talukas like Canacona which has dense tree cover!
Yesterday, while watching the news highlights of the 49th Liberation day, I was apalled, that, there is a village in the North Goa, somewhere near Pirna, having no motorable road, no drinking water (forget safe). the children have to walk 5 km to and fro nearest school, and some other lack of facilities in a supposed to be a civilized society, while we boast about Goa's achievements, of growth, literacy and elecrification, roads, sports, etc. About 30 years ago electrification program was in full swing, and yet year after year, it seems endless promises made to people about elecrification, which has yet not been done? I get it, say on the eve of every election, this promise is made and then forgotten, then again another promise the next eve of election, and so it goes on and on with promises every time. The 30 years are accounted for.
Do it, solar power, nuclear power or tidal power or burn garbage nd generate power, there is no lack of ideas in our fertile minds, but please do it.
Please also see that young children do not have to work to support their families including resorting to begging. It is not enough to have laws but equally important to have them humanely applied.
Respected CM, you know it all along that scarce land is the problem, and obviously you cannot blame anyone because the finger will point towards your direction. Goa has become a Switzerland