South Goa gets ministerial ear with Kamat's darbar sessions

File photo of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat during an inspection in Margao.

MARGAO
Come Tuesday, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat will launch his public darbar sessions at the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Hall, where he will listen to the grievances of residents from Margao, Salcete, and South Goa.
That’s not all — the Minister has also planned to be available every Friday at the Matanhy Saldanha Administrative Complex at the South Goa District Collectorate to redress public grievances.
Kamat will begin his first session at the Margao Municipal Hall on Tuesday at 10 am, where he is expected to meet members of the public for two hours, from 10 am to 12 noon. Similarly, he will hold his session at the Collectorate on Friday mornings.
Speaking about the initiative, the PWD Minister clarified that the exercise may not exactly be a public darbar in the traditional sense but rather an interaction with citizens to hear their concerns and provide solutions.
“If my very presence helps resolve public grievances, and depending on the public response, I will make it a point to hold these interactions every week. For now, I have decided to visit the MMC and the Collectorate once a fortnight,” he said.
As the lone Minister from Salcete in the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government, Kamat emphasised that the initiative aims to address the issues of not only the people of Margao and Salcete but of South Goa as a whole.
“People can approach me at the MMC Hall or the Collectorate to have their grievances addressed,” he added.
It may be recalled that Kamat’s predecessor, Aleixo Sequeira, had also initiated weekly public darbars at the South Goa District Collectorate during his tenure as Environment Minister.