PANAJI
On May 23, 1987, India's Parliament by enacting The Constitution (Fifty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1987, ensured Goa became the first Union Territory to be granted Statehood. A few days later, the then Rajiv Gandhi-led Union government notified May 30 as the day the amendment took effect.
On Friday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that a befitting celebration will be organised at the Goa Raj Bhavan on May 30 which is the 35th anniversary of this Goa's geo-political milestone -- Statehood.
"We will hold the event at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan where the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, will be the chief guest," Sawant announced at press conference at his official Altinho residence, adding that 35 personalities, dead or living who have contributed to the State will be felicitated.
"All who have been Chief Ministers since Statehood, some posthumously, will also be felicitated since they too have immense contribution," Sawant said.
Others who will be felicitated will be selected through a public nomination process to be unveiled in the next few days through the aegis of the Department of Information and Publicity, Sawant said.
Statehood when it came about in 1987 was indeed a momentous event but one that followed years of struggle and a 'bloody' agitation to resolve the official language row, according to Rajya Sabha MP, Luizinho Faleiro.
"Since States in India were organised on the linguistic basis, Central leaders like ex-PMs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi asked us to first decide Goa's language and Statehood will follow," Faleiro told The Goan.
Pratpasing Rane was the Chief Minister when Goa attained Statehood in 1987 and the State has had 10 other politicians leading it since then. Of these 10 ex-chief ministers, three are no more -- Dr Wilfred de Souza, Dr Luis Proto Barbosa and Manohar Parrikar -- and will be feted posthumously.
Churchill Alemao, Ravi Naik, Luizinho Faleiro, Francisco Sardinha, Digambar Kamat and Laxmikant Parsekar are expected to be present at the function and will be felicitated in person.
STONE FOR NEW RAJ BHAVAN: President Kovind will also lay the Foundation Stone for the construction of the new building for Raj Bhavan within the precincts of the current official residence of the Governor at Dona Paula, Sawant said.
The project will be executed through the PWD and will be constructed in an area within the estate of the existing Raj Bhavan, Sawant added.
ATAL SETU INSPECTION: Sawant meanwhile, accepted that the 'Atal Setu' bridge across Mandovi river is ridden with "some problems".
Responding to a query on allegations made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of corruption and use of sub-standard material, Sawant declined to go into the details but said a final decision of how to resolve the problems will be taken after a detailed inspection with a team comprising officials and engineers from the PWD.
