Porvorim (Goa) Goa Governor Mridula Sinha in her address to the House said that the state government is committed to doubling the income of farmers by 2022, which is one of the targets of sustainable development goals of the state.
Sinha was addressing the Budget session of Goa Legislative Assembly during its first day. She was received in the House by Speaker Pramod Sawant and MGP minister Sudin Dhavalikar in absence of chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
“The commitment of my government is doubling the real income of the farmers by 2022 which is one of the targets of sustainable development goals of the state,” she said in her speech.
“In order to achieve the target, my government is making efforts to identify waste lands and put the same to use for cooperative farming by providing technology, modern tools, financial support by way of subsidies for cultivating various types of crops and purchasing agricultural machinery and encourage the youth to take up agriculture,” the Governor said.
She added that the fallow land mapping has been completed and studies to put them to productive use have begun. “In order to provide demand for the local products, my government is encouraging the youth to establish food parks in the state as a part of start-ups programme,” the Governor added.
She said that the state has been generating the employment opportunities under CMRY (chief minister rojagar yojna) in which Rs 13,000 crore has been sanctioned to various youths to start their ventures.
In her speech, the Governor expressed concern over the lives lost on the road due to accidents. “It is the utmost concern of my government that more than 300 people lose their lives in road accidents each year, besides more than 1,000 get injured in these accidents,” she said adding that the state government has taken steps to reduce the deaths on the roads.
On the law and order front, she said that the crime rate has decreased and detection has increased in the State. She mentioned about the coastal security cover exercise ‘sagar kavach’ and successful hosting of U-17 FIFA world cup without any breach in security are the examples of policing in the State.
She said that the government is guided by the fundamental spirit of the Constitution and committed to the welfare of weaker sections and working towards strengthening social justice and economic parity and usher ease of living of the common man.
The Governor said that the State government is focused to end the hunger and achieve food security in the State. “To achieve this, the National Food Security Act has been strictly enforced and 5.43 lakh deserving population has been covered. In order to bring transparency and to curtail diversion and leakages in the targeted public distribution system, the department of civil supplies is in the process of installing Point of Sale devices at all the fair price shops,” she added.
Sinha said that the state government under its ambitious Dayanand Social Security scheme has covered 1.40 lakh people.
“In order to achive gender equality and empower all women and girls, my government is giving highest priority for improving female sex ratio at birth by monitoring the implementation of PNDT Act in the state,” she said.
Governor said that the state government is committed to make Goa Open Defecation free state by October 2, 2018. As a part of information, education and communication, camps are being held to create awareness by organizing street plays, by way of wall painting, billboard, hoardings, distribution of pamphlets, stickers, foam boards etc.
As a part of swatch bharat mission, my government has constructed around 130 community toilets and around 15 public toilets for different urban local bodies, she added.
